Companion
by J-crusader
Summary: Natsuki given the notable title of 'Companion', travels with Shizuru, a young powerful Meister, through the countries of the new world. This is their tale, their adventure and their story of their love that burns for an eternity. ShizNat. AU.
1. City of Galeria

**A/N:** Production 797 * J-Crusader presents: Companion ~Tales of the Orion~

The main characters used are from Sunrise, the anime series of Mai-Otome and Mai-Otome Zwei. The places and sub/minor characters used are from the original world of Kosarieé brought to life from the stories in Kargo.

**Quick Talk from J-Crusader:** This is not an introduction that gives the summary of the story or what happened before. I would like to do that, but it is not the time.

This is a piece that I have done up, with co-relation to my original written work. It is set in the world of Kosarieé, exactly similiar to the world that 'More than Fine' is set in. Just that this story happens way before 'More than Fine' actually happens. One must note that this story has no relation to 'More than fine' even though it is set in the same world and with the same characters used. Things may seem weird and unusual in the start, but I hope one can bear with it, things will be explained by themselves slowly as the story progesses.

Life here is surreal and I enjoy it. Basically, this story is written for all those who have supported me this far, I thank you and I hope you will enjoy this piece like the others you have read.

Then again,

Cheers!

* * *

The forest was quiet, apart from the chirping of the night crickets and the soft buzzing of the other insects that lived in the undergrowth. The air was still and humid, the heavy rain had passed overhead the thick canopy and the rain water had made the soil below wet and mushy despite the break that the emergent of the forest provided.

Somewhere in the dense forest; at a deep trough that ran through, an old tree had fallen across the depression. It created a small bridge as seen in villages and cities of Kosarieé. This huge old tree had fallen long time ago; the inside was now hollow, eaten much presumably by termites that lived in abundance in the undergrowth of this particular forest. The bark of the tree was flaking off slowly, a sturdy tree it was until it realised it was no match against lighting. That was most likely the cause of why it fell.

The trunk of the tree was mostly covered in thick wet moss, little sprouts of white fungi growing out at odd angles. Ants were crawling along the curve of the fallen tree in an oddly constructed line. The colour of the bark was dark now and it did not give off a pleasant vibe either. However, though how wet and filthy it seemed, it didn't stop a girl from settling herself down on top of the fallen trunk.

She allowed her legs dangle off, her old leather coat pushed neatly under her bum, in hope to prevent her cotton bottoms from getting damp.

'Aren't you going to join me up here?'

A small grunt was heard below the trunk across the trough. Her crimson eyes moved to settle onto her life long Companion that leaned up the fallen trunk. Soon enough, she heard an answer; it was always like that after a grunt was given.

'No. I prefer to stand.'

'Suit yourself.'

Her high leather boot that reached just below her knee knocked softly onto the hollow trunk and she cautiously tested whether this make shift bridge was strong enough to hold her weight, it looked like it was going to collapse anytime. Even though, it was once a strong sturdy tree, it doesn't mean that it will always stay strong and sturdy.

She fingered the wet moss that was all around her and she stopped when she realised that a ray of clear white light was shone on her fingers.

'There's light!'

A shuffle of fabric was heard from her Companion near her and she briefly looked up to see her Companion glance back at where she was pointing to on the trunk. She beamed at the emerald eyes that look impassively at her and she waited for a response, there always was a response for her.

'It's the moonlight.'

She titled her head up to look up at the emergent and pass the thick canopy. The night sky could barely be seen within the lush greenery the canopy provided, how was her Companion so sure that the moon was out tonight? There could be clouds out there that blocked the moon from its glory. They entered the forest with no light, facing what was called pitch dark. However, they were long use to such discomfort, eyes long trained to adapt to such darkness.

'How sure are you?'

'Very.'

Her Companion had turned back to look into the darkness and waited patiently for their energy to recharge. Crimson eyes darted to her stoic Companion and she eased out, curiosity getting the better of her.

'What makes you so sure? There could be clouds up there to block the moon.'

'The sky is clear; the heavy rain has already long stopped.'

Her Companion's monotonous voice called out from below her, calm as ever. Well, that was a valid and acceptable reason. It was further proved to be correct as crimson eyes watched more thin rays of gentle white light steam down, across the spread of the forest's undergrowth. It was beautiful sight.

'We should get going.'

Crimson eyes moved back to her Companion after scanning the dimly lit undergrowth. She managed a nod that went unseen by her Companion and gently pushed her body up to stand on top of the trunk. A soft creak was issued below her feet and she dusted her cloak down, patting down her back to ensure that clumps of dirt didn't get stuck onto her.

'Are we going to set up camp?'

Her Companion held onto her wooden staff, as she balanced her way to the other side of the trough. She questioned the emerald eyes of her Companion that seemed to glow in the dark. It was endearing, and calming in an awkward way.

'No, it is too dangerous to set up camp in this forest.'

She reached over to her Companion that had jumped up deftly onto the other end of the trough to join her on the same level, and she accepted back her wooden staff. Her Companion adjusted the rucksack that was slung over the board shoulders and reached out a hand to the girl beside. Taking it lightly, crimson eyes scanned the badly lit undergrowth path that lay before them.

It wasn't as beautiful as she would have thought. Nevertheless, her Companion caught onto her apprehension.

'Don't worry. I'll carry you on my back once you start to feel tired.'

Her Companion tightened her hold around the smaller hand and passed a small rare smile.

'Thank you Natsuki.'

With that, they continued their journey.

* * *

'Shizuru. We will be out soon.'

The said girl opened her eyes weakly as she slowly readjusted her eyes to the bright light that shone onto her face. It was warm and the silver glare of the sun was directed right into her face. Why was it so bright? Turning her head slightly upon the back of her Companion, she found that the canopy of the forest wasn't as thick and dense as the previous part they travelled through.

It was already morning and her feet still ached since last night.

She remembered why she was being carried by her Companion.

'We will be out of the forest soon.'

'Natsuki?'

Her Companion didn't answer, but the gesture of her being pushed up lightly on the back of her Companion allowed Shizuru to know that she was acknowledged. Her legs were on either side of her Companion, held strongly by toned arms and strong wide hands. Her own arms were slung tiredly across her Companion's shoulders and her hands loosely holding onto the latter's own leather cloak. Her wooden staff…

Her wooden staff!

Crimson eyes darted open but relaxed after she found her wooden staff neatly tied next to her, next to the rucksack that was slung, looking most uncomfortably, around the neck of her Companion. Shizuru eased back onto the strong board back of her Companion as her ears drummed with the wailing cicadas of the forest. The forest crickets were still chirping loudly; the fresh air that came along the rain from last night lifted some of Shizuru's tiredness and she kept her eyes open as her Companion walked briskly on. Showing no tiredness or discomfort that Shizuru was a burden.

Natsuki never showed such signs to Shizuru before.

'Natsuki?'

A low hum was given out this time; Shizuru remembered she had been to busy finding where her wooden staff had gone to that she had forgotten to question her Companion. She pulled herself closer to the nape of her Companion's neck and breathed out slowly,

'Where are we headed to now?'

'The city of Galeria.'

She snuggled closer to the cool nature that her Companion seemingly gave out and tried her best to decrease the weight onto those strong arms and hands that held her up. Her Companion continued impassively,

'Prince Steiner would be happy to see you.'

Shizuru kept quiet as her Companion jumped slightly to get onto a higher level. The forest path seem to be bringing them up than forward and Shizuru didn't take long to realised that they were climbing instead of advancing. Pressing her face against her Companion's exposed beck, she felt the sheet of perspiration wipe her cheek. Hearing the soft panting from Natsuki, Shizuru leaned forward gently. She whispered a word or two to her Companion that stopped her ascend and lowered Shizuru down to the mossy undergrowth, the roots of the tall huge trees bulging up from the ground.

As her feet touched the ground, Shizuru reached over to carry her wooden staff as Natsuki stretched and readjusted the rucksack. Scanning her environment that was almost the same as the last night, only that now the forest carried a lighter and gentler air. The ground was still wet from the rain last night and by looking at the sun that shone brightly above their heads and the thin canopy cover, it was barely midday.

Natsuki was perspiring a lot and her tunic was drenched from all of that. The atmosphere was humid despite how cool it seemed and Shizuru knew that it was always like this in every forest they travelled through. Sitting herself down onto the ground, and tucking her cloak beneath her bum again, Shizuru watched her Companion shed her own cloak and pull her wet tunic over head to reveal a light white singlet.

Her Companion's skin glisten in sweat and Shizuru watched silently nearby as she wails of the cicada grew louder.

'Do you need to change Shizuru?'

She shook her head softly and she leaned over to rucksack that was placed next to her. She untied the strange knot that Natsuki always tied and dug inside in search of the small towel they had bought in the previous city they travelled to. Shizuru shifted closer to her Companion and wiped Natsuki's arms, revelling in the nicks and scars that her Companion had all over her limbs. There were too many to count, and Shizuru knew, they had been already there for more than a hundred years.

'Thank you Shizuru.'

Shizuru smiled as she gave the small towel a flick and proceeded to fold the partially damp cloth. Natsuki wrung her tunic and moved over to edge of the platform they had climbed up to, and turned back around to eye the path they had to walk. After a short silence they shared packing and changing, Natsuki kneeled down next to Shizuru and pulled her up smoothly onto her back.

'You don't need to carry me Natsuki.

'You cannot appear in front of Prince Steiner exhausted.'

Shizuru kept quiet and accepted the task of carrying the rucksack and her wooden staff that was handed to the back by Natsuki. Her cloak covered the both of them and Shizuru could feel the strong muscles of her Companion ripple beneath the skin. Crimson eyes looked up at the path they had to climb and hugged her Companion gently and closed her eyes.

* * *

It was pass midday and it was still somewhat hot, it was quiet a change from the cool atmosphere of the forest to the hot glare of the heat that was lay out before them. It wasn't a desert, it was just grassy fields that seem to stretch on and on, to the mountains that stood tall and wide in the background. Shizuru had gotten onto her feet the minute they had exited the forest and her Companion had reluctantly allowed her to continue the rest of the journey to the city of Galeria on foot.

'You tend to spoil me.'

There was a grunt and like always, there would a response,

'I do it unconsciously.'

Shizuru glanced up at her Companion and wandered briefly why her Companion did so. However, Shizuru kept her questions to herself for the time being, she had other chances and moments to find it out herself; her Companion won't be going anywhere. Natsuki will live an eternity by her side, despite how much her Companion disliked it; Natsuki has already long grown use to it.

Shizuru walked beside her impassive Companion as the sun started it's descent behind the mountains, and it was in the distance that they saw that a myriad of lights. They had been seeing the grassy fields for the last few hours and sometimes the rare chance of catching sight onto Hiji birds that rested their huge bodies and wings on the grassy plains, before lifting off to soar in the vast sky.

The clouds have gathered once again together in the evening sky, and darkness tore through the sky quickly. The lights of the city of Galeria twinkled and gleamed in the distance and it was not long before there could make out the gates and the walls that created the perimeter of the city. As they near the city, they too noticed how small cottages could be seen in the grassy fields, herds of stock moving around slowly. The dirt pathway was greeted with lamps that were placed high onto metal poles and soon Shizuru found her eyes looking at the people that joined them into the city, moving in from different pathways, other than the one they had travelled from the forest.

'It is the time of the year.'

Shizuru wound her hand around Natsuki's that gently tugged her closer. Together they walked with the growing crowd that joined at the intersection of all routes and they moved along to the gates of Galeria. Keeping her wooden staff close to her, Shizuru stopped her steps as she realised that Natsuki had brought her to the side. Her Companion pulled a small purple band from the side pouch that hung low from her belt and motioned Shizuru to turn around.

Feeling her long hair being gathered in a small tail, Shizuru watched the guards inspect each and every traveller that went through the gates. It was much stricter than the other cities they had travelled to. Crimson eyes watched as a peddler was denied access since his good weren't allowed in the city. What about them? Did they carry anything that the city of Galeria did not accept and allow within the walls?

Shizuru heard a shuffle from behind her and she turned to find her Companion tie her own dark hair up and turn her cloak inside out to reveal a simple crest that Shizuru had seen so long ago. Her hand snaked with Natsuki's again as her Companion moved forward silently to the gates. They must look presentably.

A hand was put up in front of her Companion's face and she stood quietly beside, her ears picking up on the noise that the crowd at the gate was making. It wasn't a process that allowed people to stream in efficient, but it was surely a process that stopped people from going in.

'Your pass. Miss.'

'We have no pass.'

Shizuru was a head shorter than her Companion; she was after all only a girl, while her Companion was already hundred years older than her. Yet somehow, eternity made Natsuki retain the same youthful face of early adulthood. There was the sense of maturity despite anything.

'Then I cannot allow you to enter Galeria.'

Emerald eyes moved over to the worried crimson that gazed up at her and Natsuki placed a soothing hand onto Shizuru's head. Her Companion turned to face the gate guard and spoke impassively like always,

'We must enter Galeria.'

'Without a pass, I cannot let you enter.'

'We have no pass, and we need no pass.'

Natsuki pulled her cloak forward and showed the guard that stood speechless at the sight at the emblem that was embroidered onto the worn leather cloak. The guard's eyes glanced down to look at crimson that waited for an answer and the guard stumbled,

'My deepest apology, but the city of Galeria has banned your race from entering.'

'Discrimination.' Natsuki lowered her voice, much to the notice of Shizuru who tightened her grip on the big hand around hers.

'I am truly sorry, but I still cannot allow you from entering.'

'What about my company?'

Shizuru felt her body move to stand in front of Natsuki and she found those hands land onto her shoulder. Her ears picked up Natsuki's cold voice from behind her,

'Can she enter?' Shizuru felt her legs move forward with the push Natsuki gave and her crimson eyes looked into the eyes of the guards, 'She is not of my race.'

'She still needs a pass to enter.'

'She has an audience to attend, with Prince Steiner.'

The guard's face expression dropped again, and crimson eyes looked straight into the dark brown ones of the guard's. Her Companion eyed the guard that laughed with much amusement at the previous statement.

'Nonsense.'

* * *

'Natsuki?'

Shizuru rolled over to climb on top of her Companion and settled to the calm beat of Natsuki's heart. A small grunt was heard in the darkness of the inn that was situated outside that brightly lit gates of the city of Galeria, the buzz of the crowd was still on as travellers still wished to enter the city at such a late hour. It was this time of the year as Natsuki labelled it. It was the time the city held celebrations and festivals one after another; it caught the attention of people around Kosarieé. It didn't just happen for the city of Galeria; the whole of the Land of Arri and Merros went through this phase, and it was just that the city of Galeria started its festivals earlier.

'What is it Shizuru?'

'Will we be able to gain entry into Galeria?'

There was a brief silence that was shared between them, before a loud cheer erupted from the first floor of the two storey inn.

'Yes and no.'

Shizuru kept quiet as she pulled herself up and dragged the white sheets along with her. She looked at her Companion that had closed her eyes long time ago to try to succumb to sleep. Without hesitation, Shizuru traced the long scar that travelled across the abdomen that was left uncovered by the thin white singlet her Companion wore and remembered how she had once told Natsuki that it looked like the Orion's belt that twinkled in the night sky. It was just that all the dots were joined up. It was such a straight clean scar that glossed in the light colour of dull pink.

'Why is it a yes and a no?'

Shizuru eyed her wooden staff that she had placed safely by the bed and moved over to see the warm glow provided by the path lamps. It glowed like a light bug outside their room window and she turned back to find her Companion slumped over the pillow. Natsuki's voice muffled,

'Yes for you, no for me.'

Shizuru moved closer to her Companion and pulled a strand of stray dark hair to the side of Natsuki's turned face. Emerald eyes she had seen for the last ten years eyed her for a second or two before it was shut by heavy eye lids. A grunt was given,

'Sleep Shizuru. Tomorrow you will need as much energy.'

Crimson eyes settled onto the figure that rolled back up and pulled the sheets away from Shizuru's comfort. Keeping silent for a while, Shizuru pondered on how things were going to be for them tomorrow. Soon enough, she allowed herself to fall down onto the comforts of a bed and pull herself closer to her Companion that provided her enough security for her to succumb to deep sleep.

* * *

'Meister Viola, you have to understand.'

'I do not understand.'

The prince that sat down beside her gritted his teeth in exasperation and pulled his head down to the ground. His short curled light brown hair met with the carpeted floor and Shizuru could only look down at his begging,

'Please Meister Viola. I cannot allow Kruger inside Galeria.'

'I do not understand why you could have allowed her to enter Galeria a year back and now you don't.'

His blue eyes shrank and Prince Steiner quivered. In his grand throne room that stretched for miles was graced with fine soft carpets, the endless fragrance of jasmine and the comforts of cushions and the royal seat itself. However, within his own throne room, Prince Steiner did not feel comfortable with the angered girl that sat in front of him.

'I am truly sorry, but what has been set, cannot be undone.'

Shizuru gripped her wooden staff and threw a glare with her menacing crimson eyes that made the Prince shiver. She could still remember the farce that had been made outside the gates that caused her Companion to go the extent of freezing one of guards. Shizuru had actually wanted things to be done in a more kind and appropriate way but if that had not happened, it would not have brought her inside the city of Galeria, for it was only then did Prince Steiner know who was knocking at his door.

'Allow her to enter Galeria.'

'I cannot do that, Meister Viola.'

'Then I cannot perform what you want.'

It was then, Prince Steiner lifted up his head from the floor, his eyes wide with horror and mouth agape. His hands reached out to hold the girl in front of him and he pleaded and begged, his voice trembling,

'Please Meister Viola, you must perform the ritual!'

'Without her, I cannot do anything.'

Prince Steiner caught onto the gleam that Shizuru's crimson eyes gave off and she looked at the quaking hands on her shoulders. Sliding his hands off the girl's shoulders, the prince slouched forward and cursed under his breath. He wanted his city of Galeria to be safe, but he did not want to go to the extent of inviting something unnatural and extraordinary to come within the vicinity of his vibrant city.

He knew that these things only brought along the unwanted company, yet he above all he wanted his city to be safe, that was his main priority. He was still in the losing end, but at least safety will be brought to his country. Yes, he wanted that.

'If you are afraid of her, then shouldn't you be afraid of me too?'

Prince Steiner locked his shocked blue eyes onto the red ones that looked straight into his soul. He knew she could read him like an open book. He knew that this girl was not just an ordinary girl but someone much more powerful than him. She was someone that wasn't supposed to be messed around with. Meister Viola was a Meister at the tender age of adolescence.

Kruger, the faithful Companion of Meister Viola was also someone not to be messed with. An example was given this morning at the gates; she could cast magic on anyone, yet she wasn't called a mage, a magician, or a Meister. She was someone much more than that. She carried something that all the kings and rulers of countries in Kosarieé wanted.

Kruger carried eternity in her veins.

She was a living deity.

Was that even possible?

No, that couldn't be, Prince Steiner read about it in his library that was almost as vast as those libraries in Eden. Kruger was part of a race, a race that carried eternity in their veins, they were walking immortals. No, they couldn't be called immortals for they could die too, they faced death like any other human would. It was just that their life span stretched for decades and centuries. How it was possible? Only the high priests of Eden knew, for they were allowed to read scriptures of the ancients.

This race always brought along unwanted attention, like looters and bandits. What was much worse was the evil that lurked within darkness of Kosarieé, those that came from the abyss and those who created chaos with much hate and detest without much reason. It was because they, even the devils, simply believed in all old legends that by eating or drinking the flesh or the blood of this race would too give them eternity.

How pathetic, and mindless.

Prince Steiner knew those old myths, legends and fables were a bunch of tall tales; made to show that greed would lead to the down fall of humanity, one way or another. Furthermore, to show that these things, undesirable will only bring the downfall of a village, a city, a country, a nation or even the world.

Why did even the great ancient god Kroft create such a race in the first place?

Above all, he wanted his city to be safe from any harm and danger, and the only way that was possible now was to invite such a person in his country, then he might as well do so. Safety and peace will come, that by then, Kruger will have left the city after the ritual is performed. It was a test, Prince Steiner believed it so.

'I will grant only her entry.'

'Discrimination does not equal to fairness.'

Blue eyes met with crimson eyes that had not lifted from his face. Prince Steiner gulped and straightened up uncomfortably. His had no idea how to go against that. What the girl had said was true, discrimination is not fairness, the whole city knows that, his father and his forefathers all knew that. Shizuru caught onto the tremble within those dilated pupils of the Prince and asked offhandedly, much different than her usual grace which she portrayed.

'Why did you put up such a ban?'

Prince Steiner trembled violently and he hid his face within his arms, was this his punishment for being too curious on why Meister Viola's Companion did not seem to age every year they met in Galeria to perform the ritual? For five years, Kruger never seemed to change a single bit, her face maintaining that youthful complex. Kruger…She was…

At that, Prince Steiner slipped and he buried his face into his hands, trembling,

'They are monsters.'

* * *

Pulling the string that held her hair together in a thin tail, Natsuki felt Shizuru beside her move to sit behind her. She felt the soft touch that lingered longer than usual on her back. She heard Shizuru breath into her neck and she sat quietly at the edge of the bed that the Prince had provided them as usual. It was a room located in the far end of the palace, out from the sight of anyone and out of reach from the sharp ears that dared to listen into their conversation.

Natsuki would know if they were being watched, she could feel it, sense it, and smell it. Taste the air and Natsuki would be able to tell that there was a rat listening in. It was just that Natsuki knew, after having walked on Kosarieé for more than a hundred years. She knew the world like a voyager would know the atlas. However, what she didn't really know was the girl that sat behind and cared for her as if she would vanish from her side forever.

Natsuki was different, Shizuru knew that.

Natsuki could live for a hundred years more, but Shizuru wouldn't.

Then why was Shizuru treating her like this?

Simply because it was Shizuru Viola, wasn't it? The youngest Meister in Eden that had bothered to acknowledge her on the holy grounds.

'Natsuki?'

Shizuru waited for the small grunt or even the smallest gesture that told her that she was listening. However, her Companion didn't do anything. Silence engulfed them as the clouds gathered like the night before. Lighting flashed within them and the rumbles of thunder heard, threatening to rain upon to city of Galeria that danced in coloured warm lights.

The night was getting cold and Shizuru reluctantly pulled herself away from her silent impassive Companion that sat quietly at the edge of the bed. She slipped beneath the soft covers and hugged the sheets. Her things not far away by the window, she saw her cloak hung neatly on a stand, her wooden staff nearby and her clothes folded neatly. Her pair of cotton bottoms were stripped from her legs not long ago, leaving her in only the simple loin cloth that cover her private area. Her breasts were freed from the metal breast plate that Meister's wore and her night lavender tunic the only thing keeping her upper body covered.

Shizuru moved slightly to rest her head on the pillow provided, not getting quiet use to the softness that it provided her, since she had been sleeping on the solid back of her Companion or the stiff rucksack that they carried, from endless days of travel.

She breathed in and she noticed that finally her Companion had moved under the covers with her. It the night was still early, Shizuru could tell, as the lights of the city still could be seen glowing vibrantly outside the window. Sooner than expected, she found herself moving towards Natsuki and resting her head against the soft light texture of the thin white singlet her Companion wore.

Shizuru tried again.

'Natsuki?'

'What's wrong Shizuru?'

She found the emerald eyes of Natsuki look at her and she beamed under the darkness at her Companion's response. She pulled herself closer and traced another scar that lined the arm of Natsuki.

'You're not a monster.'

'If I am, I would have already been killed by you.'

Shizuru did not laugh at that, neither did Natsuki who looked impassively at crimson. Shizuru moved herself up and propped her head up with a hand. Looking down at her Companion, she blew a slow breath across Natsuki's face and watched those emerald eyes close briefly before opening back to level with crimson. Shizuru smoothed Natsuki's face with her free hand and lowered her face down to meet those dry lips of her Companion.

Upon the light kiss, Natsuki moved slightly and motioned Shizuru to stop. Crimson eyes closed for a while and rested her head next to her Companion. Emerald eyes looked at the ceiling and took in a deep breath, stuck her tongue out and tasted the air. They were not disturbed, they won't be disturbed. Before the ritual, they cannot be heard, be seen and be disturbed. That was the rules of this ritual, and rules though meant to be broken at times are too to be abided.

'It is still early.'

Shizuru kept quiet at her Companion's words and breathed out into the cold night air. She turned slightly and she could see the light drizzle outside. In the distance, lighting could be seen, the rumbles of the thunder now not heard. The storm had moved away from above the city. Yet it still drizzles.

'Natsuki. Now is never early.'

Shizuru pressed her body hard against Natsuki and motioned the latter to continue. Without her, Shizuru could do nothing. Sooner than expected, from her impassive Companion, Shizuru felt her tunic slid up her waist. A cold hand moved its way up and she could only hold dearly onto Natsuki that lay before her. Her hands reached blindly to find a support and Natsuki guided Shizuru's hands around her neck. It was choking, but pleasurable for Natsuki to say that it was comfortable.

Shizuru's lavender tunic rose above her chest and by now, she was already breathing heavily. Kisses from Natsuki trailed her face, to her neck and back to her lips. Smoothly, she could feel strong hands wound round her body and rest on her breast. It was like a lighting strike, fast and quick, Shizuru could feel her Companion's hand work her up into a state of arousal.

It wasn't long before Shizuru found her tunic beside her on the bed and her loin cloth untied from around her hips. She had made sure that Natsuki was as equally bare as her before she allowed her Companion to proceed any further. It was always the Companion's duty to please; after all they were called Companions for a reason. Another reason was for another cause. That was something Shizuru didn't like to talk about.

Natsuki lips found its way down across a well developed chest for a girl and settled comfortably on sucking the rounded peaks of Shizuru's breast. Shizuru stifled a moan and pulled Natsuki closer. It was already by this time she could feel the strong pulse from Natsuki run into her. It was like always, a strong source of power running through her, making her feel alive and at the same time making her feel powerful. It made her glow.

However, Shizuru knew she could have more, and Natsuki knew she herself wanted to give more. It was the bond between the Companion and the Meister. The mutual understanding made the two much more powerful than any other pair in Kosarieé. Yet, Shizuru wished that this could happen not just because it was a ritual or a preparation for a battle. She wanted her Companion in other aspects than what other Meister's of Eden desired.

Shizuru drew in a sharp breath and bucked her hips against the leg that was pressed tightly up against the apex of her thighs. She took no notice that a hand had wandered down to her core until she felt a probing finger tickling the centre of her pleasure. In response, she passed a series of butterfly kisses to Natsuki who busied herself in keeping the same rhythmic movements to the girl moving above her. A sheet of sweat glistened over their skin and Shizuru realised how understanding and concern Natsuki was to kiss away the fatigue that showed within her eyes.

'I can continue later.'

It was tiring, to have sex, even though how her Companion's spiritual energy flowed and poured itself into the same pool off powers. It made her feel alive and awake, but it somehow made her seem weak and fragile. It was weird, this process of building up energy before a ritual. However, it was the fastest way that allowed a Meister to gain energy, recover and become powerful. Yet, there was a difference between having a real spiritual energy up than becoming described as powerful.

Shizuru knew that well.

'No.'

'Shizuru, I do not want…'

'I will feel even more exhausted if we continued on later.'

Shizuru's breathing was laboured, and quick. She didn't want Natsuki to waste their joined efforts just because she showed signs of tiredness.

'I will be alright Natsuki.'

With that simple sentence, Shizuru received a chaste kiss on the forehead before Natsuki built up Shizuru's arousal with her ministrations. Their rhythmic movement came back quickly and Shizuru was throbbing in pleasure as bolts of energy could be felt surging throughout her. She held her moan to the pillows and yelped and screamed into the mouth of Natsuki's. Swallowing any sound that would attract attention, Natsuki held on to keep on providing energy to Shizuru, before she took notice that those crimson eyes wanted to shut and rest from all the energy that was building within the small frame of the girl.

Natsuki had to end it soon.

'Shizuru.'

'Natsuki, ugh.'

Shizuru caught onto the thought that her Companion had and lowered herself down to be closer to Natsuki. It wasn't long before she felt the strong wave of energy burst in her body. Natsuki had brought her to her climax and she could feel the strong throbbing sensation of energy pulsate throughout her. Her chest was burning, and her legs tired. Shizuru braced herself against her Companion and gripped hard on the shoulders that leaned over to her. Their rocking and buckling soon became a smooth sway and slowly died into breaths of heavy breathing.

Crimson eyes kept closed as she relished in the sensation of feeling alive, awake, strong, yet tired and weak at the same time. She felt the strong hand that had pleasured her smooth her hair and pull her closer. The long drizzle had stopped and the atmosphere once again humid like in the forest. The city warm city lights of Galeria had toned down, it wasn't as bright, and Shizuru knew it was now late.

Natsuki knew it too.

Emerald eyes looked up at the high ceiling and allowed the girl beside her to move even closer. It was not long before she heard the soft slumber breathing of Shizuru and Natsuki closed her eyes.

She was tired too.

* * *

'The city has changed.'

'In what way Shizuru?'

Shizuru pointed over to the high guard towers that rose from among the houses of Galeria. She watched her Companion nod in understanding, and she turned to the west end of the flat platform that was built on the top of the palace. Shizuru pointed over to the watch towers along the city's west walls,

'There are mages in those towers.' Crimson eyes focussed onto the a specific one, 'They have been casting spells for about at least a month or two. The land outside is barren and empty.'

Her Companion kept quiet and a small breeze took them.

'What have they been fending off that needs the help of mages?'

Shizuru mused aloud as she proceeded to stand in the centre of the large square platform. Her cloaked danced lightly with the soft wind that blew in the early morning. Her hair still messed around even though it was tied up and Shizuru found it quite irritating at times. Then again, she adored her hair and the way it was. Just like how she had a liking to Natsuki's long dark hair.

'Should I ask Prince Steiner?'

Shizuru chuckled and waved her free hand to her Companion that had moved over to stand behind her. She breathed in deeply and took a step back to stand against the hands of her Companion. Lifting up her wooden staff to position it parallel to the ground, Shizuru broke in to a chant as a circle that glowed deep purple surrounded her. She shut her eyes slowly.

Natsuki pulled her hands off Shizuru as soon she realised that no energy of her was flowing to Shizuru and moved quickly to the side of the platform. Her emerald eyes watched as within the circle, ancient symbols of Kosarieé formed. The circle continued to rotate smoothly around Shizuru's lone figure, soon a soft glow formed on all around her and four other similar circles appeared in the air. Then in a click everything just stopped.

'Something is not right.'

Shizuru opened her eyes and pulled her wooden staff down to her side, the circle symbols of a Meister disappearing slowly. Natsuki glanced around and found a scene, definitely an eye opener to the young Meister.

Natsuki dropped to sit cross legged on the platform and it caught the attention of Shizuru. Gesturing to the scene that was happening in the far west, Natsuki motioned Shizuru to look at it closer.

'It's a battle!'

Her Companion pulled her own cloak around her body and fingered the tiles of the platform. Shizuru cautiously moved over to the edge and peered at the sparks of bright light, the prominent colours of fiery red and dull grey. The lights had a strong glow, a battle cry, a strong menacing aura that only a certain type of people had in Kosarieé. Meisters.

There was a dance battle happening in the west.

That was why there was so much unrest in the air!

'I cannot perform the ritual; it will only attract their attention.'

'Then you must attract attention.'

Shizuru whirled around in bewilderment at the remark that was thrown impassively at her by her Companion. What on the high heavens was her Companion talking about. There was not single cell in Shizuru that wanted her to take part in a Meister's dance battle, especially at such a young tender age, furthermore…

'Natsuki, I am too…'

'You are never too young to take part in a Meister battle.'

Emerald eyes were closed and crimson could only widen at how relaxed her Companion was talking at the moment. Her duty every year in this city was to perform a ritual to create a barrier strong enough to ensure safety and protection to the people from the forces that planned on invasion, or the darkness that still loomed within the abyss of Kosarieé. It was part of a tri-pact treaty held between Vernia Falls, Central and Eden. That was her duty; her duty never stated that she was to take part in Meister dance battles, putting up barriers was only her job as a graduated Meister from Eden.

Shizuru did not want to die just yet.

She walked up, trying to be as calm and relaxed as ever, to her Companion that sat perfectly languid on the platform. The breeze had been replaced by slightly stronger winds. Shizuru tightened her cloak around her shoulders and held firmly on her wooden staff. She stood gracefully as her title was given to her and looked down at Natsuki.

'My duty is to just perform the ritual. I have not yet been promoted to a rank to take part in dance battles.'

Emerald eyes remained closed.

'Natsuki.'

'Then perform the ritual as told.'

Shizuru realised that she had been shot back down to square one. If she performed the ritual, her Meister energy waves will alert and inform those neighbouring Meisters that she was near, she, someone powerful enough to set up a barrier strong and lasting. That also meant someone powerful enough to take part in a dance battle.

However, she was not at an age to take part in dance battles. One more year was all she needed to be promoted and be legalised to take part in such activities.

'I…'

Shizuru stopped her protest; she knew that her Companion would win in the end. Her Companion knew knowledge that came from a hundred years of living, she knew how everything worked. She especially knew how Meisters worked and went along with everything.

'I will inform Prince Steiner.'

Crimson eyes watched emerald eyes open and get up from her sit on the platform. Natsuki was about to turn as she felt a hand reach out to hold her back. She turned back to find crimson eyes, pleading to stop her actions.

'No. Natsuki.' She hesitated, 'I will perform the ritual now.'

A cold gleam was sent to Shizuru and she actually allowed herself to shiver. Natsuki halted her actions and turned back fully to look at Shizuru, at that point, she passed a brief smile.

'I will stand by you.'

* * *

She could here the loud sirens as she felt being readjusted on the strong back that carried her down the hallways of the palace. What had exactly happened? Shizuru could hear the worried voice of Prince Steiner beside her and she peeled her eye lids apart to find concern blue eyes glancing back at her from time to time.

'Will Meister Viola be alright?'

'She will be Prince Steiner.' She could hear the smooth cold voice of her Companion and she moved slightly on Natsuki's back, 'She is just exhausted from the ritual.'

'I am confused, isn't Meister Viola always more alive after the ritual.'

Then it struck Shizuru like a bat and she jerked up from her slump onto Natsuki's back. She allowed herself to perform the ritual for the good of Galeria and duty as a Meister, whether the consequences involved her taking part in a dance battle with other Meisters. She remembered having a difficult time casting the spells as the strong disturbance within the air made by the conflicting Meisters caused her energy to spread across the city unevenly. She had to do it twice, with twice the much of energy to safely say that the ritual was completed and the barrier set up for good.

With that, Shizuru had collapsed exhausted onto the ground after using so much of her spiritual energy. She knew that her own Meister energy waves would have caught the attention of the Meisters that were fighting along the border of the mountains of Merros by then. She struggled slightly from the hold Natsuki had on her and landed hard on the floor of the hallway.

Prince Steiner was alarmed and rushed towards Shizuru as her Companion walked calmly over. However, all Shizuru could hear within her ears was the loud sirens that informed all to get ready for battle. Crimson eyes widened as she stumbled forward to the shock prince that had kneeled down onto the floor beside the tired Meister.

'Why have the sirens been turned on?'

'A Meister is coming towards Galeria at full force.'

Shizuru looked up shocked at the emerald eyes that had answered her question. A Meister? That meant, the other before had been defeated? Prince Steiner forced out a smile and tried in vain to calm his trembling voice,

'Do not worry, Meister Viola…'

'Do not worry? I don't want to die!'

Prince Steiner was taken aback and fell back onto his hands as the Meister shot back at him. He could see the worry wracked on her smooth face. Yes, she was young, a young tender age that had so much more years to live to see the world. She was not at an age to die just yet, but…

Wasn't she the one that had caused the Meister to take notice of her?

That only happened because she was performing her duties as a Meister.

'I will take care of the Meister.' Shizuru and the Prince jerked their heads to face the impassive Natsuki that stood beside them. Her voice cut the sirens like a knife and Shizuru realised that her Companion was serious all the time. Natsuki was always like that.

'That's impossible!'

A cold stare was sent to Prince Steiner that fumbled onto his feet and helped a pale looking Meister. Shizuru said nothing as she looked on weakly at her Companion that tugged at her cloak, spun on her boots and walked down the hallways that lead to the west entrance of the city walls. Crimson imagined the worse that could come out from a dance battle between her Companion and a Meister.

She knew that Natsuki was strong, but was she that strong, tough and powerful to take on a Meister? Was living through a hundred years enough her to make that strong to take on a Meister worthy of a dance battle? Shizuru didn't want her Companion to fall defeated and come back injured from head to toe. She did not want that.

'Natsuki!'

'Meister Viola! You are to stay to recover!'

Shizuru halted her run after her Companion and lowered her eyes to her hand that clutched tight onto her wooden staff. She could feel no life in her gloved hands and no energy pulsating through her veins. Was she this drained? After a ritual that she had to perform twice in a row? Yes she was. Shizuru was exhausted, but she had made up her mind long ago when anything involved her Companion.

Her crimson eyes clashed hard with blue eyes of the Prince and she emphasized,

'Without her, I cannot do anything.'

* * *

Natsuki looked briefly at the thick grey city walls that loomed behind her and she could hear a cry from one of the towers guards that had wished her all the best at the powerful source that was heading towards the city. It was sure that the mages positioned at the west towers took notice of the huge disturbance within the air and the raging aura that was heading towards the city. Menacing and terrorising it was to make them set off the sirens. At least they did, it gave her a peace of mind that they were aware of it.

She stopped upon the barren land outside the walls and kicked up the dirt at her feet. What exactly was the city fighting that needed aid of mages? A beast from the lairs of the mountains? No, such beast did not need magic to be tamed and killed. A devil perhaps? No, the barrier had not waned yet when they arrived in Galeria. What were they fending off?

The breeze was cut abruptly and the air became still. Natsuki took notice how dry her surroundings became and hot it seem to prickle with heat. Strong heat enough to set a field on fire. Who exactly was coming, a Meister so menacing that it can make miles in front scorch and burn?

Natsuki breathed calmly and like always produced a small mist that cooled her off instantly. She took of her cloak and folded it neatly, realising that it made her feel hotter and uncomfortable. It was not long before Natsuki could feel her feet burn despite the hard boots she wore. The area around her turned blazing hot and it seemed as if a fire was spreading towards her.

Emerald eyes closed and Natsuki breathed out slowly. The heat was lessened, but Natsuki knew it would only become even hotter when this Meister arrived. So this was this Meister's element? So much different than what Shizuru possessed and controlled. It looked as if it was fuelled by anger and hate that it seem to be able to spread so far.

'Meister Viola!'

Natsuki spun around upon hearing a guard's cry. She caught onto a tired and exhausted girl that carried her wooden staff with two hands and ran to her that her life depended on her running. She was not to be here, not when she was in a state so vulnerable. What is she thinking off in a time like this!? Natsuki ran a few options in her head and realised how dangerous it would be if the Meister coming met up with Shizuru.

Shizuru is strong, a powerful Meister of her age. However, a little young and inexperienced to deal with things that Natsuki finally realised was too much for a young Meister like Shizuru to handle. Natsuki regretted; she shouldn't have pushed the girl too far. Clenching her teeth, she would take care of things. It was she that brought about this.

Those crimson eyes search for Natsuki's eyes and the moment they met, a strong blaze ripped the atmosphere.

'Ugh!'

Rolling forward to pull Shizuru to the ground, Natsuki found that her tunic had been scarred by a flame, leaving a badly burnt black hole on her back. She picked Shizuru up and realised the heat was getting more and more intense. Emerald eyes sought out the heavy crimson eyes that stared tiredly at her and Natsuki skidded to the side to dodge another jet that was shot out to her.

She was holding the Meister that is why.

Natsuki had to get Shizuru back within the walls, if she would want this mess to lessen. She had to get things sorted out.

'Natsuki.'

'Why did you come out!?'

Reaching the walls of the city, Natsuki jumped up into the air and pushed up the cobbled walls like a skilled acrobat and landed quite exhaustedly on the ledge of the top of the watch tower.

'Meister Viola!'

One of guards pulled back at the sight that landed in front of him and his fellow colleagues pulled forward as Natsuki eased Shizuru into the arms of a mage. The grey eyes of the young mage glance at Natsuki for a moment before Natsuki jumped back onto the ledge shouting,

'She needs a Companion. She needs to recover; do not allow her outside!'

The mage stumbled forward with the Meister in his arms and called out to Natsuki who was reluctant to stay due to the intense heat that was rose a notch every second. Her tunic was already drenched like in the forest and she had to end this heat that was coming from the incoming Meister.

'Master Kruger! Who is her Companion?'

Natsuki gritted her teeth; it was a question she didn't want to answer at this point of time either. That meant Shizuru had to wait for now and she was sorry. However as she was ready to jump back down to face the advancing Meister, a strong tug pulled her back to the watch tower and her lips pulled into a soft kiss.

That last emerald saw and heard was the faint gleam in those crimson eyes and a soft murmur of her name before she leaped in the air and glided down along the cobbled walls of Galeria. She fingered her lips as she landed onto the hot ground.

'I am her Companion.'

* * *

**A/N:** This is the first chapter, there is more to come, do not worry. I hope that everyone that has read until here has enjoyed it so far.

**For the Info:** The word Companion is a title, it is also the same for the word Meister; the word Meister is used as a honourific title for a certain type of people in Kosarieé. Shizuru is one of them, hence she is referred to as Meister Viola. Natsuki however it not a Meister, she is a Companion. The place mentioned as Eden is a country in Kosarieé, it is where Meisters are trained.

If there is any more questions that one would like to ask, feel free to do so, pop in a message if needed. There were a few sketches done of Shizuru and Natsuki before I even wrote this, it is posted up at my hompage, titled 'Companion.'

Then again,

Cheers!


	2. City of Galeria: western wall battle

**A/N:** Thank you to all those that have sent in a review, or even put this story under alert notice! This is a battle chapter, so those waiting to see Natsuki show some action, you will have your dose. Then again, until the end,

* * *

Emerald eyes closed for a brief second before opening to greet the searing plan that ripped up her arm. Natsuki realised how intense this flame was than compared to others that she had faced from the past hundred years. Looking down to her arm that limped at her side in the colour of charcoal, Natsuki gave out a low grunt, causing a sheet of ice to cover her charred arm.

A wave of coldness ran over her injury and she readjusted her stance on the barren burnt ground and faced the Meister that had fallen to the ground due to the strong hard on resistance that Natsuki gave upon the arrival of the Meister. She looked at the Meister that mirrored her age, just that Natsuki could sense that the girl didn't have the hundred years of living like she had. She was not like of Natsuki, just a normal girl that had become a Meister, just like Shizuru.

Taking a step forward, Natsuki studied the Meister that was groaning from the impact that Natsuki had caused. The hair of the Meister was the colour of a burning flame; strong as the colour of an amber jewel found only in the Northern sanctuary of Avant-Garde. Her body dressed in an elegant Meister robe, dominant colours of viridian green, orange and pristine white. A red scarf hung from the Meister's neck and Natsuki cautiously lowered herself down to get a better look at the fallen Meister.

However, before Natsuki could get another glimpse at the Meister, her emerald eyes met with fierce lavender eyes and then a flurry of fire that pricked her face.

Holding back a grunt of pain, Natsuki nursed her burnt face, encasing the burnt part again with a sheet of ice. By now her arm was healed, able and in prefect condition to attack. Landing a few metres away from the fire that surround the Meister, Natsuki watched the red head rise painfully from the ground. She caught onto the empty lavender eyes that only showed anger and hate, and Natsuki prepared for the worse.

Standing tall, Natsuki stood patiently for the Meister to take notice of her. It wasn't long before lavender eyes met emerald.

'You are not the Meister that released the energy wave.'

Natsuki noted how melancholic her voice was, and made no comment whatsoever.

'Call her out! I am here to engage in a dance battle with a Meister, not a mage!'

Natsuki tapped the sheet of ice on her face and it broke gently to reveal a healed face. Dusting off the shards that had fallen on her tunic, Natsuki eyed the red haired Meister. She spoke impassively like always,

'I am no mage, and I stand here to engage in a battle with you.'

'You are not a mage, not a Meister! How brave of you to stand before me and ask to partake in a dance battle.'

'I am not partaking; I am the only one you will battle.'

She watched lavender eyes widen and then narrow dangerously.

'Call out the Meister!'

A stream of fire was sent lashing out to Natsuki, but it soon dissolved into a mist as it barely touched the skin of the Companion. The Meister that stood before Natsuki was taken aback, and emerald eyes barely batted an eye at what was happening.

'I hate to repeat myself honoured Meister, but I will be the one that you will battle.'

A battle cry was let out from the Meister before Natsuki. A cry that Natsuki noted how sad and enraged it sounded, it was as if this girl had lost something so important. Something was taken away from this Meister, something dear, something that was able to bring someone into a state of anger, rage and confusion. What did this Meister lose that was so important that it can fuel such rage to do a dance battle one after another? It was blind rage, steam that wanted to be let loose.

It was a feeling, an emotion that brought destruction.

Who caused such a thing to turn a Meister like that?

It was definitely someone or something outrageous that caused a Meister to engage any near Meister in a dance battle.

Dance battles are respected battles between Meisters.

Before Natsuki could bring her hand up to stop the huge ball of fire that was aimed directly at her, she felt the strong searing pain shoot up her body. She could do nothing but just wait, since Natsuki knew that she could not die just yet, she had eternity running through her veins. She would not just die just because she just got burnt from head to toe; it would have to take much more than that to actually kill her.

'Listen again honoured Meister; I will be the only one that you will battle.'

The Meister that had moved forward towards Natsuki could only drop her jaw and take back her steps. How could this person still stand and talk to her normally despite the fire that she had unleashed. It was simply impossible for someone to remain standing after a blaze, no, it was simply impossible for the person to even survive it!

'What are you?'

'That honoured Meister; you will have to find out yourself.'

With that, Natsuki raised her hand to the sky.

* * *

Shizuru shook in pain as she writhed within the arms of the mage that still carried her in the watch tower. Her Meister robe was wet from her perspiration and she didn't feel any better with the magic that was slowly allowing her to recover energy. The mages around her were trying their best to speed up the process, she knew, but it just wasn't an effective way when her spiritual energy was drained to almost nothing.

The process was slow and Shizuru wanted her Companion next to her at moments like this.

Her ears could hear the murmurs from the tower guards and the chanting from the mages, but above all she could hear the cries of a hurt girl and the soft growling from her one and only life long Companion. Had Natsuki gone to the extent of using her powers of changing into the beast she is forbidden to? No, the seal had not broke out on her abdomen, there was no burning pain, only the pain of feeling dead tired.

Shizuru wanted to close her eyes, to relish in the peaceful state of slumber; however the thoughts of her Companion battling a Meister outside kept her awake. She wanted to be standing by her Companion…to be able to say that she is strong enough to handle a dance battle, even when she knew she was not strong and not at the level and rank to be able to take part in such battles.

'Meister Viola, we beg of you to close you eyes and rest.'

Her crimson eyes met with the grey eyes of the mage that carried her, and in the distance of the blue sky she could see the bright intense glow of orange mixed with the fury of red. The battle outside was intense. Shifting her sight back to the mage, she clutched tighter onto her wooden staff and pursed her lips. They knew her answer; in no way would she close her eyes when her Companion was taking her place in battling a Meister who she attracted.

Yet she was confused, why would a Meister rush over here right after another dance battle?

Something was wrong, or was it that something went wrong before?

'Guards! Defence!'

Shizuru turned quickly to her side and watched the towers guards rush up in front of her to form a shield with their metal plates. Some mages around her had stopped their chants and moved over to stand behind the guards, pulling themselves into a position ready to defend. Sooner or later, a figure smashed into the tower causing a huge tremor to spread across the wall. Shizuru could feel it; it was her Companion that had landed into the tower.

There was that cooling aura that she could feel, it prickled her skin and it soothed her like it always did.

'Master Kruger, are you alright?!'

'Move!'

Crimson eyes locked onto the person that had hastily picked herself up from the fall and it was no mistake that her Companion stood in front of her. However before Shizuru could even say out her Companion's name, a casing of thick ice surrounded her; preventing her from saying anything but a loud gasp. A bright light blinded her for a second and she felt the shudder in the ice case protecting her from the attack that was sent towards her.

The mage that was with her in the ice case trembled and Shizuru could barely make out Natsuki that had rolled over to stand in front of her encasement. The guards that had held the defence formation earlier was on the ground, some barely making a sound, others groaning and moaning. The mages that were tending to her were balancing on the ledge, waiting to strike the figure that Shizuru saw rising above the wall.

She saw the red flaming coloured hair and those lavender eyes and she choked out a sob. However, no one could hear her, only for the mage that held her.

Natsuki shook the shards of ice of her skin and took another look at the Meister that had joined her up on the tower, what a bad place to have smashed into. At least Shizuru was safe in the ice dome she had created. A finger rose to her level and Natsuki braced herself for another jet of fire from the Meister, she had wanted to use the contract she had with Shizuru, but it will only make Shizuru even more exhausted, that was not an option to touch on.

Lavender eyes widened in horror at gleaming emerald,

'Why can't you die!?'

Natsuki ducked as she stretched low onto the ground. Pressing her palms onto the ground, she made thick sharp icicles jar out from the tower towards the badly injured Meister that still fought on. Not expecting such an attack, the Meister flew back into the air outside the tower and at this point, Natsuki took the opportunity, grasping the given advantage.

Raising her hand to the sky, she called out loudly,

'Hail!'

A rain of ice shards pierced down onto the shocked Meister that had fallen for that attack twice. Pushing up from the ground, Natsuki made a leap outside to join the Meister that was falling down, however as before she could make it out of the tower, she was flung back against the ice dome and Shizuru's scream went unheard.

'Master Kruger!'

The mage with Shizuru had let go of Shizuru by now and watched in terror as the dark haired lady slam hard on the icy surface. Shizuru had her hands pressed against the surface of the ice dome, calling desperately for the Meister she knew to stop, pleading as well for her Companion to stop such a dance battle that seemed to go on.

It was because Natsuki could not die and that particular Meister's life should not be just wasted away in a dance battle that would have no outcome.

Banging against the thick wall of ice, Shizuru was able to get the attention of her injured Companion that looked back with concerned eyes.

'Don't kill her Natsuki!' with all her might, Shizuru yelled into the ice, 'Don't kill her!'

Natsuki could hear Shizuru clearly and stared at the young Meister's words.

'Don't kill her Natsuki.' Emerald eyes looked sympathetically at crimson, 'She is the Fire Stirring Ruby!'

Shizuru watched her Companion's eyes widen at the statement and she knew she had hit the spot. She had hit the spot; she had given an idea that her Companion was sure to use that would eventually bring things to an end. As expected, she watched her Companion push herself into the dome to join Shizuru and the mage. It surprised the young mage, who called out in alarm at the sight of the burnt flesh that covered Natsuki.

There was the heavy stink of brunt flesh in the ice dome, but Shizuru wasn't irked by it. Her hands met with the slightly charred palms of her Companion and she could instantly feel a strong pulse beating against her flesh. She had the urge to kiss those cracked and bleeding lips of her Companion and she did just that.

In an instant, she could feel a strong wave of energy surge through her veins, like how it was last night during the pre-ritual. She felt so much better now. Shizuru could taste the blood that leaked from her Companion's mouth, but she kissed on. Natsuki allowed Shizuru to do so and leaned comfortably onto the hands that held her. Natsuki could feel sheets of ice covering the burnt areas of her body and she relaxed further.

However things were broken apart as a strong fire hit the walls of the ice dome.

'Stop protecting the Meister that is supposed to battle me! Come out and dance!'

Shizuru could hear the booming voice of the fiery Meister outside their protection and she took notice on how different it was from the girl she actually knew. This wasn't the cheerful Meister that Shizuru knew in Eden; this was a Meister full of rage and hate. She could feel it in the air. The surge of fire continued without fail on the ice dome and Shizuru was worried how long the ice case could protect them from such an intense flame.

'I will end up killing her if she goes on like this.'

'Mai has yet to turn in a Valkyrie.'

Natsuki held onto the tightening hands around her healing one and looked down at he burnt tunic that hung like rags on her body. Shizuru continued,

'She still has chance to remain as a Meister, she just has to regain back her sanity.' She paused, 'I can feel it.'

Shizuru watched the thin layer of ice around her Companion's face break to reveal a clean uninjured face. There was no magic behind it, there were no spells that Natsuki used, and it was just how her race worked; for she could live for an eternity. Shizuru ran her hand along her Companion's face and stopped when Natsuki took her turn to speak. Above the loud wave of roaring heat outside the ice dome, Natsuki spoke coolly,

'It is your turn then.'

Crimson eyes widened and she protested,

'Natsuki, I cannot…!'

'You can.'

After those simple words, Shizuru felt a hand slip down to her abdomen and moist lips kiss her. A strong energy wave hit her and Shizuru could feel her body shudder at how much energy her body was taking from Natsuki. It lasted only about a second or two and she was baffled at how she felt so much more alive than she felt in the morning before the ritual. What just happened?

'Trust me.'

'No Natsuki!' Shizuru grabbed hold onto the partially burnt arm of her Companion, 'You have to be with me.'

'Meister Viola! Master Kruger!'

Emerald eyes watched the ice around them get thinner and thinner and a hole seem to form near them. The young mage trembled and Shizuru tightened her hold on Natsuki. Pulling the young Meister to her, Natsuki waited for Shizuru's arms to circle around her neck before checking that the wooden staff was within the tight hold of the girl clinging to her.

Looking straight to the young mage that shook in fright, she calmed him,

'Defence is a mage's best skill.'

With that, Natsuki rose to her full height and threw Shizuru's cloak over her form. Looking at the ice wall becoming thinner and thinner, Natsuki kissed Shizuru's earlobe and breathed out in confidence,

'You can stop her.'

Shizuru shivered slightly and Natsuki raised her hand to the sky,

'You are after all the Bewitching Smile Amethyst.'

* * *

Being flung out of the smoke cloud was not what Natsuki would have liked, but at least it got her and Shizuru out of the tower and outside of the walls of Galeria. Calling upon another rain of ice, Natsuki watched the red haired Meister pull out from chasing behind them. Landing deftly on the dirt outside of the walls, Natsuki felt her knees suffered painfully from such a landing. That she could care later, it would heal by itself anyway.

'Contour!'

Shizuru said out loudly as Natsuki let go of her the moment they touched ground. Within a flash, Natsuki watched those bright yellow binding lines rise to the Meister that flew right down to them. As predicted, the enraged Meister swiftly evaded them. However, they did not know that the Meister's speed would increase upon the sight of Shizuru.

Upon noting that the Meister would reach Shizuru before the spell was completed, Natsuki roared,

'Toras!'

As the word echoed all around, the area around Shizuru and Natsuki broke apart which allowed huge bergs of ice to jut out from the ground, tall enough to reach out to strike the incoming Meister. The air around cooled in an instance but was turned hot with fire the moment the red head touched the tip of a protruding iceberg. Seeing fire lashed down onto them, Natsuki took hold of Shizuru and kissed her one last time before things took for the change.

'Materialise!'

Now, the tables turned.

* * *

Hovering above the thick black smoke that rose from the ground she had just hit, Mai scanned the area for the imperishable dark haired lady and the new girl which she knew well was a Meister. As seconds passed and there was no signs of the two coming out of the black smoke, Mai descended hastily. Within an arms length of the smoke, Mai was caught unaware.

A long detachable golden blade shot out and whirled around her body, dragging her right into the suffocating smoke. Through the blur and heavy atmosphere, Mai struggled violently against the binds that had wound tight against her injured batted body. Suddenly she felt her body slam into something hard and cold; ice. The thick smoke hindered her sight and Mai didn't notice there was another blade against her neck until she moved slightly to her left.

'Enough Meister Tokiha.'

She heard her name and in a wave, the smoke cleared around her to reveal the young Meister and the dark haired individual. Crimson eyes which lavender had seen before during the training days in Eden stared down at her and something sparked in her head. However, everything turned blank and dark as she turned to look at the emerald eyes that look down at her. It wasn't because of that dark haired individual; it was because of the colour green was part of a something that had caused her to lose what was most treasured to her.

In a snap, fire erupted and Shizuru pulled her blades away, leaping into the safety of her Companion that shielded the both of them in ice.

'It is now your turn to take control.'

'Natsuki!'

'You're glowing. It has been a long time since I've seen you so.'

Shizuru realised that her Meister robe that had changed into something much lighter and durable for battle, and what really caught her attention was that she radiated with a light amethyst coloured glow. It was as exactly like how Natsuki had seen her ten years ago. She had to try her best to suppress a blush in a time like this and she tightened her grip on the handles of her blades.

Natsuki passed her a small grin and leaped off the ice platform she had created earlier. As her Companion drew a circle of ice near the base of the west walls of Galeria, Shizuru knew she did not need to worry about Natsuki. There, her Companion would nurse herself back and keep an eye on her battle. Shizuru looked at her golden blades that shone with life; this was the true form of the wooden staff she carried around. It was deadly and Shizuru wielded it like a professional Meister would. It was her weapon.

Breathing in deeply, Shizuru looked into the bright sky and eyed the Meister that flew right down at her. Crimson eyes closed,

'Enough Meister Tokiha.'

* * *

Prince Steiner did not like the sight before his eyes as he arrived at the watch tower. The huge rectangular stones that built up the watch tower floor was all over the place, and the wooden roof that sheltered them was broken and darkened by the fire that was blazing minutes ago. Rubble was all over the place and damp at some areas due to the melting ice left from the attack created by Natsuki.

'My Prince! Please return to the inner city!' One of the guards had rushed forward to stop the prince that walked over to the broken ledge to stare at what was happening below and outside.

'It is dangerous out here. Please my prince, return to safety.'

Prince Steiner ignored the words spoken and his blue eyes widened at the battle scene before the west walls of Galeria. He had never seen Meisters in dance battles and he was awed by the bright colours that shone in vibrancy. The two colours that stood out from the patches of burnt ground was the attracting colour of amethyst and the raging burning colour of orange.

'Return to the inner city, Prince Steiner.'

He whirled around at the expressionless voice but found no one beside him except for the guard that was urging him to go back to the inner city. He was sure that he heard the strong voice of Kruger behind him. However his eyes could not even spot the dark haired lady that had entered his city yesterday, he was spooked.

'Why are you still standing there Prince Steiner?'

He became frantic at the voice that called out to him amongst that rushed voices of the mages and guards behind him and the battle clashes before. Scanning his surroundings and before him, he spotted the owner of the voice that stood metres below him, at the base of the wall. How in the world was her voice able to reach him when she was so far down?

'Kruger! What's happening!?'

Natsuki could hear the tremble in Prince Steiner's voice and she watched the dance battle folding out before her. Eyeing the strong glow of amethyst that duelled between the two, Natsuki calmly spoke,

'Meister Viola is doing what must be done.'

'She is engaged in a dance battle? She hasn't…!'

Natsuki cut the connection with the Prince and shot a glare up to the tower that she was sure was caught by the blue eyes. Pushing herself off the walls, she flicked her wrist from its cold icy recovery and adjusted Shizuru's cloak around her shoulders. She had no more injuries to tend; small burns could wait for later. Taking a step forward, she heard another bang and she watched a figure rise into the air.

Shizuru was breathing heavily through her mouth and she was gasping for fresh air as she pulled out from the smoke that was caused by the previous fiery explosion. Mai was faster than before, her element of fire more intense and dangerous than she recalled. Her arms were aching from the continuous shielding that she had to do to prevent herself from roasting up.

Retracting her golden blades to its original length, Shizuru once again shielded herself from the breath of fire that sprouted out from the hands of Mai who loomed over her. Crimson eyes concentrated on the fire that streamed out continuously before rolling to the side quickly as Mai pulled her hands back from another fiery explosion.

The battle had progressed, however showing no signs that Mai had come back to her senses. It was as if the rage had taken over her completely, but Shizuru could tell, that a part of Mai wanted to stop this hate from pouring out. Sending one of her blades forward to Mai, Shizuru managed to pull the enraged red head to the ground. Anchoring her down successfully, Shizuru rushed over shouting,

'Bind!'

The yellow lines that had been sent out previously came rushing down onto the fallen Meister, locking her to the ground. Pulling over to the side of the Fire Stirring Ruby, Shizuru saw the battle within the eyes of the red head. She could see the pain, the hurt, the hate and everything that was causing her to act like this. Shizuru could see it.

'Meister Mai, listen to me! Hear me!'

The struggling became violent and Shizuru watched in horror as Mai thrashed on the ground. Tears pouring out those blank lavender eyes, saliva streaming down the sides of her mouth, and cries hurting Shizuru's own ears.

'Meister Mai, please! Hear me!'

At that, Shizuru took hold of the fallen Meister's face into her hands. She tired her best to steady the struggling and at upon finding the best opportunity, she unleashed her element.

She wasn't called the Bewitching Smile Amethyst just because she could charm anyone with her smile and beauty. It was because she was able to use the rare element that only one in a hundred Meisters could use. Natsuki had described that the word bewitching didn't really make any sense but she had no say in Eden.

Her Companion elaborated her element as something intangible. Something composed of the quintessential factors that made energy and the spirit as it is. That is why; Natsuki notes how calm, relaxed and free she can be just being by Shizuru.

However, Shizuru did not know that her element was of the highest order.

Sadly, she too knew no name of her element like other Meisters knew of their element.

Yet, she did not care, as long as she knew that it was able to bring the Meister that sparred with her last time into a state of equanimity. Pulling her eyes closed, Shizuru concentrated on calming Mai. Though possessing the power of using such a powerful element, Shizuru by now was already exhausted and tired like after the morning's ritual on the city. She would need a lot more energy if she wanted to calm such frenzy.

She needed her Companion.

No, she had to stay strong.

'You have grown stronger, Shizuru.'

Shizuru jerked her head up and her lips were pressed against cooling ones, she felt a powerful stronger wave brace her body and she felt so much more awake and energetic. Pulling back quickly to see who had stooped in front of her and the fallen Meister, Shizuru found emerald eyes staring straight at her. She had wanted to cry out that her Companion had arrived back by her side at the perfect time, but the violent struggling before prevented her so.

'I do not want her to be in danger,' Shizuru watched Natsuki draw a circle of ice around them, cooling the air around them, 'If she goes against my element, she will suffer.'

There was silence between the two; the only sounds of Mai thrashing on the ground could be heard. In the end, Natsuki broke the silence upon seeing the crestfallen expression on Shizuru's face.

'She has the gem of an elite Meister, has she not?'

Shizuru widened her eyes and searched for the gem that all elite Meisters of Kosarieé carried. Once Meisters were given both a title and the rank to be allowed to take part in dance battles, they were given a gem. An earring size gem that allowed Meisters to manifest their powers and energy. If Mai was able to call upon a start of a dance battle, then she was of an elite Meister; she would have the gem.

Finding the small gem pierced like an earring into the left ear, Shizuru called out to Natsuki that had long noticed it. Both of them looked at how dull and dead it was; it was the colour of dull grey instead of the orange shine it was suppose to have.

'The anger within her is her fuel; her gem is as dead as it can get.'

'It is not yet black, Natsuki, she is still a Meister.'

Emerald eyes locked onto crimson and Shizuru nodded,

'I will do my best.'

Her Companion kissed her forehead briefly and Shizuru steadied her trembling hands.

* * *

Natsuki was aware that she had a problem carrying two people back to the city of Galeria. Shizuru had passed out for good after being successful in bringing Meister Tokiha into a state of equanimity. The gem of the Fire Stirring Ruby had gained back its colour of orange and Meister Mai was unconscious like a dead log.

Mai laid face up, breathing shallow. Shizuru was on her side, her battle robes forming back into her Meister robes. The injuries which she obtained during battle becoming more prominent to the eye. The golden blades of Shizuru were back to the same wooden staff and Natsuki gently lifted it up and tied it around her with a loose cloth that hung from her arm.

Eyeing the watch tower of the western wall of Galeria, Natsuki spotted a few men running in her direction and it wasn't long before a team of guards and mages arrived at her side.

'Master Kruger, are you alright?'

'Is the battle over?'

Natsuki gently hoisted Shizuru onto her back and motioned to the unconscious Meister that lay harmless on the ground. She looked at the gem that shone in a brilliant glow and the small smile that graced the Meister face. Natsuki stared at the expression and looked back at the sound asleep Shizuru on her back. What had Shizuru done that had been so incredible to be able to calm such an enraged Meister in a state so blissful?

Natsuki remained silent as guards and mages surrounded her with questions. She spoke to no one in particular and started to move back to the gates of the west wall.

'Don't leave her in the sun.'

The guards looked at the Meister on the ground and back at Natsuki that walked back with the young girl on her back. As they turned back to face the red haired Meister, they found the mages gently picking up Mai, and they humbly assisted them back to the gates. Without a question, they followed the two in front of them, through the gates, through the city and into the inner city.

Prince Steiner was awaiting their return and was relieved at the sight of Kruger walking into the palace with the young Meister on her back. However he was shocked to find that the Meister that had attacked them be led into the nursing room.

'She is now travels with us.'

Blue eyes could only lower at the look that the dark haired lady sent towards him, he muttered an apology under his breath and left the group to attend to his duties. He did not want to get involved with Kruger… Nothing at all.

* * *

Shizuru looked at her Companion that dressed in front of her. The burnt scars from the battle with Mai had brought the nicked skin of her Companion into a new stage of roughness. She kept quiet as she donned her cloak and waited for Natsuki at the door to their room. The night sky was covered in dark clouds and the city was still alive and bright with the warm lights. It was just like that four days ago.

'Shizuru.'

She looked up at the sound of her name and she met with emerald eyes that danced in the darkness. The rucksack that they carried was slung around her Companion's shoulder and a new fresh clean cloak covering her body. Natsuki moved up to Shizuru and reached out a hand.

'Natsuki?'

There was a grunt. Shizuru took the rough hand into hers and took the next step forward with her Companion. Out of the door, into the hallways they went. Soon, after all the detours they took through the bustling city, they arrived at the west wall of Galeria, the gates of the wall graced by the presence of Prince Steiner and his men. Yet what caught Shizuru's eye was the red head that stood by the side of the gate, waiting for their arrival.

'Meister Viola. Kruger. I hope that you have fully recovered from the battle.'

Shizuru smiled at Prince Steiner who gave into a small nod, Natsuki simply stared down and turned after having Shizuru tighten her hold around her hand. He continued,

'I thank you once again for coming down all the way to the city of Galeria to perform the ritual. I am looking forward to meet you once again next year, Meister Viola.'

Shizuru watched Prince Steiner bow lowly before her and her Companion. The men accompanying the prince and the mages followed suit. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted how Mai bowed to her as well. She kept a sigh and waited if there was any more to be said from the Prince.

'May the light of Kroft guide you safely to your next destination.'

'I will come again next year, Prince Steiner. Thank you for accommodating our prolonged stay.'

With that Shizuru bowed to all before her and allowed Natsuki to guide her to where their new travelling mate stood. By the tall gates of the western wall, Crimson figured out the lone Meister that was dressed in a dark cloak with an emblem of her title sewn on the back. The amber hair tucked under a hood and her travelling robes clean and neat.

Lavender eyes looked more alive than what she saw previously during the battle.

'Master Kruger.'

Natsuki turned back to the young mage that had carried Shizuru previously. She let go of Shizuru who promptly left her side to walk over to the red head Meister.

'Thank you for protecting me.'

'You protected yourself; you accepted my words.'

The young mage beamed and bowed,

'Are you a mage, Master Kruger?'

'No.'

Grey eyes widened in confusion at the retreating back of Natsuki. As he watched the three acknowledge each other, he couldn't hold back the biting question that tugged at his lips all this while. He called out as he watched them walk through the gates of the western walls,

'What are you, Master Kruger?'

Natsuki kept the same stoic expression as she walked through the gates, she waved her hand to the question thrown at her and the gates closed. Shizuru chuckled as she took Natsuki's hand into hers. The fire element Meister that walked beside them looked on in surprise at the interaction between the two. Natsuki brushed her cloak down and looked into dark night sky.

Then she felt Shizuru lean into her arm,

'You are my Companion.'

It started to drizzle, lightly.

'Yes I am.'

* * *

**A/N: **There is still more to come. I hope that one has enjoyed it this far.

**For the Info:** The mages call Natsuki 'Matser Kruger' for they are able to sense the strong power that she emits. She is not a Meister, hence they call her Master, a honourific title higher than a mage. Prince Steiner does not call Natsuki 'Master Kruger' but just plain simple crude 'Kruger' because he still sees Natsuki as someone he of a lower status than him even though how much powerful Natsuki is compared to him. The golden blades of Shizuru is modelled after Shizuru's Otome weapon in Mai-Otome. The elite Meister gem that Mai wears on her left ear is much smaller than the ones seen in Mai-Otome. Furthermore, the gem is not always pierced into the ear like Mai, other elite Meisters have the other options to place their gem on themselves other than the ear. The ear is just an example.

***Just a note from Production 797:** The next update may take a while, due to busy schedule that the team is facing. J-crusader has a new school term starting and we have uploaded this chapter is like a gift update before things take a turn into a slow mode. We hope that one will still support this story.

***Second Note from J-Crusader:** I will be starting a new term in school and due to the tight timings, things be slowed down. So as something to entertain all, I have a new story titled 'Perfume Jukebox remix' a crossover of Mai-Hime and the iDOLMASTER(anime and game). It is just a prologue, but the main pairing will of course be the favourite couple Shizuru and Natsuki. I hope that all will enjoy it as much as my other stories. For everyone's reading pleasure!

If there are any other unanswered questions, feel free to pop in a message!

Then again, 'till next time

Cheers!


	3. Makkron Forest

**A/N**: Third chapter! Join Natsuki, Shizuru and now Mai in their journey into Makkron Forest. Mai's past will not come in just yet, neither will it be for Natsuki or Shizuru, but rest assure, in the next chapter, there will be something I'm sure everyone will be looking forward to. Once again, A big thank you to everyone that has read, reviewed, put this story on alert or favourite! Then again, until the end,

* * *

'You've got blood all over your face.'

Natsuki grunted when she felt the soft fabric rest upon her face, and Shizuru had made no move to pull back her hand. Allowing crimson eyes to scan her face thoroughly, Natsuki shifted her eyes to the fiery Meister that sat on the rock nearby. Emerald eyes met lavender and Shizuru noted the silent interaction between the two. At least they had been on good terms with each other ever since they had left the City of Galeria.

'Could you?'

Shizuru asked her Companion softly, removing her free hand from her leather gloves and motioning Natsuki to come closer to her. Without hesitation, Shizuru watched her Companion lean into her touch and soon her hand that held the fabric to her Companion's face went cold, the usual tingling sensation running up into her body. Not a second later, crimson watched small frost particles climb up her finger, layering her skin with smooth and soft ice. She watched her Companion silently and Shizuru lingered her free hand near her abodomen.

The atmosphere started to get cold and Mai realised that the two before kept their hold for the next few minutes. She herself had started to feel cold and wondered how the young Meister and her Companion felt no different to the sudden drop in temperature. Mai was confused with the sudden change but she noted she was to be silent. Those emerald eyes told her so…she's was not going against them.

Shizuru found her breathing start to get shallow and she pressed her hand onto her abodomen. She watched her vapour waft around her face and smiled inwardly, the process of soothing her Companion's beast was going better than before. Such progress meant her contract was secure; it would be not long for it to become completely stable.

Crimson found emerald in a kiss, and Shizuru eyed the sheet of ice that grew up her Companion's face. Soon she felt a hand covering her own on her abdomen and she pursed her lips immediately upon finding it snaking up her tunic a second later. She sent a look at Natsuki, but all she could see were the dull emerald eyes of her Companion peeking over the growing sheet of ice that covered her bloodied face. However, she saw a gleam in those eyes and she suddenly jolted when the pressure of energy that was coursing into her increased.

'Natsuki.'

Whimpering at the tantalising sensation that was now surging into her through her abdomen, Shizuru leaned in further, drowning into those emerald eyes that focused on her. Those emerald eyes she had been seeing for the last ten years…how endearing they were. Crimson eyes shut when she felt the pressure reach the apex of her thighs. There she bit her lip, trying her best not to yelp and her best not to move out of the current position they were in.

Mai watched, silently, and her lavender eyes settled onto the sheet of ice that had now fully covered the young Meister's Companion's face. Those emerald eyes were still open behind the ice, focusing solely on the young Meister before her. Shizuru was trembling, Mai could see clearly. The young Meister was trembling at the expense that Mai thought she was going to fall forward onto Master Kruger. Her face was flustered and her hands shivering, from the cold atmosphere? Mai did not know.

Shizuru arched and slid herself slowly over to her Companion; the sudden urge to be with Natsuki was taking over her self control. This was part of the contract, to have a Companion from such a race. This relation they had was something Shizuru found exciting, something much different from others, but she knew that such a unique mutual relation had it dangers too. She knew she had to control herself, but the desire that swarmed through her body along with the throbbing energy they were now sharing, made it impossible to stop her from proceeding onto the next step.

Natsuki was making it difficult for her, especially, since she found that the cold hand that had slipped up her tunic was teasing her skin. She controlled her breathing, since how shallow it had become, she had to try not to put herself into laboured breathing. Or else, sometime later, she would have herself on Natsuki's back when they travelled in further into the forest.

She did not want to be tired so easily.

Lavender eyes wondered what exactly was happening behind the thick cloak that the young Meister wore that covered both of their actions. She was intrigued, to find such a pair with such a deep relation that it seemed more than just the normal understanding between Meister and Companion. She had taken noticed on the way from the City of Galeria on how the dark haired individual seemingly took immediate protection over the young Meister despite the situation. Furthermore, how intimate they presented themselves. Neither of them seemed to be bothered by each other's behaviour. Mai seemed that they even reciprocated each other's feelings.

They need not to say it out loudly; it was done silently, like how it was now.

Shivering as Shizuru lowered her head to hide her eyes from her Companion's gaze, she wished that this could be more than just a procedure of making her recover and for her bond with her Companion's beast to become stable. She wanted more, more than the normal relation Meisters shared with their Companions. She pondered briefly…

Weren't they more?

'Natsuki.'

The sheet of ice on Natsuki's became blood red, a bright colour that made Mai flinch on her sit. Not a second later, it cracked and it broke off slowly, piece by piece falling off to reveal a new clean face of the young Meister's Companion. It was like the same Mai had vaguely recalled from the battle in Galeria, how easily this Companion could heal herself by just freezing her wounds and making the burns, the cuts and injuries disappears in minutes. Unlike her, Mai had to wait for at least a night or so to get herself fully recovered, and she was already an elite Meister.

Shizuru briefly opened her eyes upon hearing the ice crack, and she was able to see the pieces of ice fall into her sight before melting away quickly. Then she felt it, immediately, like a torrent of water. Something surged from her abdomen straight into her core and she jerked forward. Her hand that was on Natsuki's face snaked around her Companion's neck and she brought her hands from her abdomen up as well. The teasing hand under her tunic moved down and Shizuru bit her lip to stifle a moan.

She felt her lower abdomen burn slightly and she knew the process of stabilising her Companion's beast was successful. The level had gone a level higher and Shizuru was overjoyed. How long had she been working on taming this beast within her Companion, she was lucky that Natsuki had not gone against it during the last few weeks before reaching the City of Galeria or else she would have been having trouble calming it now. Furthermore, she was glad Natsuki did go to the extent of changing fully during the battle.

At least, Natsuki bothered to maintain the power within her, not like some Companions with their beast.

Taking in the slight smoky smell that stuck to her Companion's hair, Shizuru pressed herself closer to Natsuki as the hand wondered down agonisingly slow. Natsuki moved her chin over her shoulder and Shizuru picked up her Companion's low voice,

'Has it stabilised?'

Shizuru breathed out, her breathing back to normal and she gave out a sound that affirmed her Companion's question. The air around them had returned to its normal temperature; noting how their breaths could not be seen as vapour.

'Natsuki.'

She flinched at the contact below and her Companion stilled her actions. There was a soft silence between them, until emerald pulled back slightly to look at hazed crimson.

'Do you need it now?'

Control, Control. Shizuru breathed out, shaking her head slowly. Reluctantly pulling herself away from her Companion, Shizuru smoothed Natsuki's hand out of her tunic and slid off the rock that they sat on for the proceeding rituals. The air, as she had noted, was back to its slight humidity. The temperature pulling up to a cool state that allowed the young Meister to still wear her cloak without her finding it hot. Finding lavender eyes on her, the young Meister brushed her hair back, tied the hand towel to her belt and glanced back to her Companion that started the rest of her healing process.

Shizuru turned back after a while and passed a soft smile at her new travelling companion,

'I guess that Meister Mai is not hurt from the clash just now?'

Lavender eyes widened slightly as she watched crimson soften on her.

'It is only a few scratches.'

The fiery Meister pulled her arm from under her dark cloak and reveal the said injuries, she looked over to the dark haired individual that had moved on to freezing her lower leg that had a bite mark that looked as if a chunk of her flesh had been ripped out. Did she not feel any pain? Mai guiltily turned back to the look into crimson that had arrived to sit next to her, both facing the stoic individual that sat a few feet away,

'Master Kruger is the one you should be worrying about.'

She heard a soft chuckle, to find crimson looking at her hands that tugged back on her leather gloves lavender had seen the young Meister whip out before the attack.

'Her wounds are not that serious to have me worrying over.'

Lavender eyes looked over in disbelief as she watched the Companion clean up the pool of dried blood around her legs that had frozen stiff during the ritual just now. Her wounds looked as if she could die anytime now, but however, Mai realised there seemed to be no difference from before the clash and after. It was as if nothing had happened to her. Mai certainly did label the young Meister's Companion as the imperishable lady, ever since the battle of Galeria.

It seemed that nothing could be done to put an end to this certain dark haired Companion. Never in her life had she met such a person that could withstand so many injuries and not pass out or die. She was sure even an elite Miester like her would pass out from so much loss of blood. Who was she? What was she?

Mai still had yet to find out.

'I've seen worst, Meister Mai.'

Turning back to settle her gaze on Shizuru, Mai watched the young Meister reach over to take her wooden staff into her grasp, letting it rest on her thighs. A small silence grew between them, and Mai could hear the return of the soft chips of the crickets. The trees around were still and it unnerved the fiery Meister. It was exactly how it was before they were attacked; it was just that it was so much more silent and eerie.

Just before they had entered the Makkron Forest, a deep and huge forest that bordered the Land Merros, Mai was certain she felt a huge disturbance in the air and she was sure that the young Meister and her Companion felt it too. However none of them brought it up. They had travelled for about 4 kilometres into the forest to find that the air had suddenly become still, the sun had suddenly been covered, and the rays of light that filtered through the canopy gone.

Mai had remembered that emerald eyes had turned dull, and that the young Meister had gone quiet from her cheery nature she had gained to know. It was then, she felt a wave of miasma cover her eyes, everything had suddenly been blurred and she was unsure of what exactly was making everything like this. The dark haired individual had moved over to stand beside her Meister, who had out of the blue collapsed on the ground, grasping her abdomen.

Suddenly a loud ear piercing scream tore the silence. It was screeching and high-pitched, loud enough to bring her hands to her ears. It was long and eerie, it was as if someone had been forced, twisted and stabbed. It was an excruciating scream that shook the leaves and made the insects of the forest appear from their homes. The crickets had flown from their perch, the millipedes and centipedes scurrying on the mossy grounds and trees, the beetles were in flight; everything was whirling in noise and shrieks.

Mai had trembled and she felt her knees weaken…

The atmosphere turned deathly and she noticed that the young Meister beside her had pulled back from doing something to her Companion. A mark seemed to have appeared on the face of Master Kruger and her eyes had seemed to have lost it emerald colour. It seemed to be turning black, a colour so harsh that it seemed to come from the abyss itself.

In the whirl of noise then, Mai watched the young Meister materialise, transforming her wooden staff she always carried into her choice of the twin golden blades. Her tunic forming into her battle robes and her energy pouring out in waves. Mai hesitated, what exactly were they going to fight, she did not know but she was sure it was something dangerous enough that needed a Meister to materialise. She then realised that the two knew what was coming, but why had they not tell her about it.

In a flash, the surroundings started to grow dark, and in her lavender eyes, everything started to blur. The trees looked as if they started to move and Mai was uncertain whether her eyes really caught onto something that was moving quickly in the foreground before the small clearing they stood in. Then it hit her, strong and hard, the smell of smoke, thick, heavy and choking. The smell of burnt flesh it was, it was sickening and Mai doubled forward, shaking her head.

As an elite Meister she had never experience such a thing in her duties. What exactly was happening? At that, as if on defence, her battle robe automatically formed on her body and her earring that manifested her powers gleamed brightly and she was forced to materialise. As her red scarf formed around her neck, it was then she sight set on something.

Out from the mesh of leaves and branches, was a blur of dark charcoal mixed messily with cracked lines of burning red ash. The smell of burnt flesh had turned up a notch and Mai took a step back, alarming the two beside her. Within a blink, it move unearthly towards her at high speed and it was then she heard the young Meister yell her name.

'Meister Mai!'

She had not known what was coming towards, but in her own accord of simple defence, she encased herself in a blast of raw heat, bringing out an explosion. Following it was the thick smoke from her explosion and she lowered her hands to her side to suddenly find a mutilated creature smoking at her feet. Mai had not seen such a creature in her life. What was it, she did not know.

It was definitely not human even though it shared the same shape of a human. Yet what made it sickeningly different was that out from it's black molten-like body were extra limbs and faces that looked contorted in the most disgusting way. It lay on the floor motionless, it's limbs of more than four splayed out in inhuman directions. Its head was a lump of molten-like substance, lines with cracks of burning red ash. Its body huge compared to its head.

It was an abomination.

Before Mai could even take the opportunity to question what this thing was, Master Kruger had appeared in front of her and shoved her to the side. Faintly, she heard Shizuru yell out contour behind her before she regained her composure to find the dark haired individual being flung into the tree by something with much impact that she heard bones crush.

It was more than one abomination that were attacking them. They spilled from everywhere that Mai felt her knees buckle for the first time. She recalled Shizuru detaching her blades outwards, elegantly slicing these mutilated creatures to the ground before she realised that she had one towering over her.

From the side she noted that Master Kruger had changed somewhat, her emerald eyes now fully pitch black that it seemed to eat anything that look in her way. The mark on her face, which was glowing fiercely with the dark colour that matched her eyes, had spread across her forehead, marking half her face with a symbol that seemed abnormal.

Master Kruger was not travelling on her feet but on fours, like guard animals found in Eden, Avant-garde and Vernia Falls. It was a sight to see to find Master Kruger launching herself out onto the creatures that moved swiftly around them like flies around rotten meat. The dark haired individual did not seem like the person she was when Mai had fought her in Galeria; she seemed to be someone totally different.

There seemed to be no end to the creatures that spilled out from every corner in the clearing. The moss on the ground was burnt and littered with globs of black liquid that popped like a bubble. Mai was tired; her fire was getting less and less effective on these creatures while Shizuru seemed to have an easy time slicing them apart.

It was then when it seemed that this had to stop; Mai felt her body speed towards Master Kruger, followed soon by the young Meister that swiftly arrived a blink later. Upon looking at the imperishable lady that seemed to have been thrown around like a rag doll, injuries all over; Mai was terrified at how thick dark red blood spilled over Master Kruger's face. Lavender eyes saw no cuts, saw no gnashes on her face; she saw nothing but blood. Then were did all of this blood coming from.

Those black eyes stared hard at her and Mai nearly fainted at the power that pierced through her. A hand had grabbed hers and she found the young Meister panting by her side, she saw a small smile and the next was that she was encased in a dome of ice. Much similar to the one she had seen being used to protect Shizuru during her battle with Master Kruger.

Things happened to fast, that the next thing was that she watched Master Kruger growl loudly before raising her hand upwards, bringing a torrent of ice shards onto the small clearing. The sound of smashing and unearthly groans and screams could be heard all around and Mai was sure she was shivering upon stepping out of the crack ice dome since everything around was littered gluey black substance with the flicker of fire amongst it.

It was after that, the sun seemed to reappear and black ground instantly turned into a mute colour of dark brown that faded into the same green after a while. From then, she had watched the young Meister tend to her Companion that had settled herself onto a huge slab of rock nearby. Those emerald eyes came back but the blood still remained.

It irked Mai greatly, and in her mind she screamed.

Now, images of a badly chewed Master Kruger from the recent battle remained in her mind, it was disgusting and disturbing, and Shizuru had said that this wasn't her worst.

It wasn't possible.

She heard the shuffle of fabric and found the young Meister walking over to her Companion that seemed to look bored waiting for her healing process to finish. Tilting her head upwards, lavender eyes found the sun and she brought her eyes down and looked deep into the forest…

Those screams.

Those creatures.

Just what was lurking in the Makkron Forest?

* * *

Setting up camp at the small clearing after finding that Natsuki was unable to heal her torn leg fast enough, Shizuru was happy to have found the rucksack that her Companion had thrown somewhere nearby during the battle. Bringing it over to settle beside her Companion, she smoothed her hand across the layer of ice on Natsuki's leg and gazed at her Companion that snoozed lightly by the fire that had been set.

Opposite, she found lavender eyes looking into the distance and she knew what was bothering the fiery Meister from the time they were attacked. Pulling back, she graced her hand over the dark hair of her Companion and spoke softly over the crackle of fire,

'Have you ever travelled to the Land of Merros?'

Mai jerked her head back to find crimson looking over the fire, she pursed her lips,

'No. My station has always been at Central.'

'Ah, I always wanted to go to Central.'

Lavender eyes widened in disbelief at how carefree the young Meister could be at the moment. She watched crimson sparkling in wonder,

'I've wanted to see the Crystal Palace.' The fiery Meister realised how the mood had softened and she somehow felt a lot more at ease, 'Ever since it was built.'

Crimson met lavender across the fire and she saw a small smile form on Shizuru's face,

'However, Natsuki isn't allowed in Central.' There was a short pause, 'That's why we never travel there.'

Mai furrowed her brows; Master Kruger was not allowed in the Central? She had never heard of such a rule that did not allow Companions inside Central. Central practically allowed anyone through the check points, as long one did not carry anything that the attending Meisters on guard duty found harmful to terrorise the country. However before she could even ask why Master Kruger was not allowed in, the young Meister beat her to asking,

'Does Meister Mai have a Companion?'

'No.'

With that her earring pierce on her earlobe sparkled, Mai seemed more at ease,

'I don't need one; I've been classified under the subgroup of individual elite Meisters.'

Shizuru didn't seem surprised by her answer, it seemed that she just asked her to get Mai's mind off the current problem she was dwelling on, and it certainly did work. The young Meister had long known that the fiery Meister need not have a Companion, since Natsuki had told her before they started their travels together that Meisters were broken into different groups after being qualified as elite Meisters.

The subgroup of individual elite Meisters, those that need not the help of Companion to recovery lost spiritual energy. These Meisters were able to recover their loss energy through the air and space around them. Hence they depended on the balance of the environment to recover and most of them were able to recover in the most extreme conditions by acclimatising to different conditions around the Kosarieé.

Shizuru had found out Mai was one of them, seemingly realising how she could recover from the battle with Natsuki in only a night.

The other half of Meisters fell under the subgroup of dividual elite Meisters. In this group it was further divided into two groups, one group was where elite Meisters depended on the main source of the energy which comes from the core of Kosarieé, which was located and transferred over to Eden. Hence these Meisters which depended on the core were usually kept within the grounds of Eden, and the pitiful thing was that they were unable to reach to a high level like a Meister Mai, since they could not be far from the core in order to have a well enough flow of spiritual energy within their bodies; all experience wasted.

The other group in the subgroup of dividual elite Meisters was the elite Meisters that depended on Companions to recover their energy loss during battle or duty. Hence the two groups were respectively called Core elite, and Dual elite.

There was a soft silence until a rustle in the bushes broke the silence. Natsuki was the first one to move, fresh awake from her light snooze, followed by Shizuru that was grabbed her wooden staff immediately and by Mai that spun around to take a look behind. They waited, within the bright security of the campfire. After a while, they noted that it was probably just a small animal that passed by.

'You should rest Natsuki.'

There was a grunt, and like always it was followed on by words,

'It's growing,' Mai turned round slowly to look at emerald eyes, 'can't you feel it?'

She couldn't stand it,

'What is happening?'

Crimson eyes landed on her lost lavender eyes and Mai noted how Master Kruger had propped herself up and froze another part of her arm. She saw how there was now a big bruise on the arm.

'Nothing is happening.'

Mai looked on in obvious disbelief and bit onto her lip as she heard those words spill out from Master Kruger. She had the urge to stand up and talk down onto the dark haired individual. How could she say that nothing was happening when evidence was written all over her and from the battle they had just experienced? Shifting her eyes onto crimson, she found how it lost their gleam,

'Something is happening! How can you not say that nothing is happening?'

The young Meister looked at her indifferently at her outburst, and Master Kruger merely spared her a glance before tapping lightly on the layer of ice that covered her leg. Mai choked,

'You call those…those creatures nothing?' She shook her head in vain to get those images out of her head, 'Their abominations!'

'They are not abominations.'

Mai whipped her head to look at Shizuru that had quietly protested; she narrowed her eye brows together and picked up the soft voice that crackled over the fire,

'They're part of the Makkron Forest.'

Surprise hit the fiery Meister and Shizuru turned to look into the darkness of the forest. She could feel the strong disturbance in the air but she had grown use to it after travelling through the Makkron Forest so many times when they were headed for the Land of Merros. There was another way to the Land of Merros, but it would take them even longer if they were to take the long route, by then the barriers in the Land of Merros would have disappeared.

That was why Shizuru was made by Natsuki to travel through the Makkron Forest to reach the Land of Merros once they were done in the City of Galeria. Now, the things that were happening in the Makkron Forest were nothing to her. What had just happened earlier was nothing new to her. It was just like she had said; it was part of the forest.

'Part of it?' Shizuru look back at Mai's voice that was echoing in disbelief, 'How can that be possible?'

'Anything is possible, honoured Meister Tokiha.'

Natsuki had pulled herself near to Shizuru and had settled her body onto the ground, folding her hands behind her head and looking up into the canopy.

'That was not what I meant, Master Kruger.'

She heard no response from the dark haired individual and she clicked her mouth shut. However, before silence could engulf them, Mai heard Shizuru speak once again,

'Rest assured Mai, I was once in your position.'

'Then you should be able to tell me! How can such a thing be part of the forest?'

'They just are.'

* * *

Kissing her Companion once more on the lips, Shizuru felt the spark jolt into her body and she pulled back slightly to smooth her hand on Natsuki's face. The campfire had long died over the night, and the early morning sun had it rays filtering through the canopy. She brushed her Companion's dark hair to side and watched emerald eyes look into the distance behind her.

'Are you going to use it later?'

Shizuru watched as layer of ice slowly cover her fingertips upon contact and she heard a soft noise vibrate from her Companion's throat. There was a grunt,

'I won't; I'm sure she now knows what to do after yesterday.'

Shizuru glanced back to see the fiery Meister sleeping silently, her front facing the forest and her back towards them. Crimson eyes darted back to the emerald and she traced a finger across a small white scar that was well hidden by her Companion's dark hair,

'We should tell Mai about…'

'She will have to find it out herself, or it will find her.'

Natsuki felt the finger on her forehead stop its trace and she looked down to find the Meister looking at her fingers.

'It's different from the last time, Natsuki,' those crimson eyes sought out her emerald eyes, 'You know it.'

Natsuki kept quiet and with that she moved in to enclose both of them in a dome of ice.

She knew, perfectly, what was happening.

* * *

'It's elastic.'

Mai watched the younger Meister skip over to her Companion that limbed slightly, since part of her leg was still layered with a sheet of ice. The hole in her leg had gotten a deal much smaller and Mai was glad in a way that Master Kruger was fairing better than last night. Shizuru had pulled over a vine that hung from a tree, challenging her Companion's knowledge which Mai had realised was far beyond the scholars and the priest back in Eden.

Master Kruger had earlier said that the vines of the trees in the Makkron forest were used to make the strings of bows found only in the City of Makkron, a city situated a few miles away from the forest itself. The young Meister had not believed so, neither did she, since how could vines which were stiff and solid be made into string that could be pulled into a length twice than its original?

However, now she learned that the vines of the trees in the forest were not stiff and solid, they were indeed elastic for some reason and Mai was indeed curious how it was to be able to be at such elasticity. Shizuru had sliced off a part of the vine, bringing it over to Natsuki and Mai, pulling the ends to show its elasticity. Crimson eyes twinkled and emerald seemed to glow despite not saying anything that expressed her happiness Mai clearly saw.

'Why is it only elastic in the Makkron Forest?'

The fiery Meister pried, since how much she wanted to know about Makkron Forest, the things within it and what made everything that had happen be able to be classified as normal. Crimson eyes landed on her, but emerald remained looking forward. The young Meister smiled and dropped her steps to match her Companion and hers. Natsuki replied,

'The air.'

The air?

Mai moved and suddenly she felt a wave of uncertainty hit her.

'The air? Isn't the air here the same in any place?'

'No.'

She saw the young Meister adjusted the wooden staff on her back, unfazed by such a response from her Companion. Master Kruger said nothing and continued on silently. Lavender eyes scanned her surroundings and she breathed in deeply, what was different with the air? Wasn't the air same anywhere in Kosarieé, how can the air in this forest be different when everything is shared throughout? Mai exhaled,

'The air? How can it be different?'

Natsuki closed her eyes briefly as questions from the fiery Meister pushed on,

'How can it be different!?'

Shizuru could hear the disbelief in the older Meister's voice and she glanced at Natsuki. She caught onto the emerald that softened momentarily and Shizuru turned back to lavender eyes, this time she answered,

'The Burning.'

* * *

**A/N**: What is the Burning that has made the Makkron Forest as it is?

**For the Info**: Mai refers to Natsuki as Master Kruger since she has not built a strong relation with Natsuki yet. However, Mai respects Natsuki, hence she calls Natsuki in title of Master. A short history Kosarieé: Vernia Falls located in the west side of Kosarieé is made up of two countries, the Land of Arri and the Land of Merros. They were once ruled under one leader but after the Bowrout Revolution, it was spilt up into two respective countries, ruled and overviewed by two different ruler. Within the countries, each city is ruled by a leader, eg. Prince Steiner of the City of Galeria, that reports monthly to the main ruler of each country which in turns reports to the high court meeting held annually in the Central.

***Note from Production 797**: The crew of Production 797 wishes that readers will continue to support this story. We hope that one has enjoyed reading this far. The fourth chapter is on its way and we hope you are looking forward to it. From the crew of Production 797: Thank you for all the hard work!

***Note from J-Crusader**: I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter, I really look foward to hear from all of you; it has been a long time since I have last updated on fanfiction. My hands are still full with assignments but I am sure that I am able to squeeze in time to write my current stories.

If there are any answered questions, fell free to pop in a message!

Then again,

Cheers!


	4. Makkron Forest: reflections

**A/N**: Fourth chapter is here for its due service. To avoid confusion, this chapter brings one back into the past when Shizuru first travels into the Makkron Forest with Natsuki, hence the title, Makkron Forest: Reflections. It will be broken up into two parts, so this is the first. It will move from the present to the past, so one will get to see their interaction before. It will be long, and Production 797 and J-Crusader hope that it will not disappoint you.

Another big thank you for all those that have read, reviewed, added to alert and favourite. It means alot.

Then again, until the end:

* * *

Crimson eyes shut tightly, before wearily opening to find that everything was turning blurry. Every second later, she found that she could no longer see the detail that the mossy ground that covered the forest floor of the Makkron forest. Her stomach had been aching with unbearably pain ever since stepping foot into the forest. She didn't want to complain, not when she had just been allowed to travel out of Eden for her first few duties.

No, she didn't want to complain; especially to her Companion.

Shizuru gripped her wooden staff tighter and pushed her feet forward to try to keep up the huge strides her Companion took. However the moment she brought herself forward, the searing pain that pooled around her abdomen shot up to her head like lighting. With that, Shizuru felt her knees buckle and her legs pull her body to the floor. Her stomach hurt so much and she had no idea what had caused her to be in such condition.

'Shizuru.'

Her Companion's voice was cool, and smooth, but she could hear the worry it was wrapped in. She closed her eyes when she felt the shooting pain flood her abdomen like fire, it burned and it stung. It wasn't just a stomach ache she had thought when she realised her abdomen had started to hurt. The pain became worse every time they proceeded further into the forest. Something was being ripped out from her, something big, something that was running lose.

It wasn't just pain.

It was as if there was something inside of her that was alive.

'My stomach hurts,' She found her Companion's hand on her own, taking the wooden staff from her hands, 'Natsuki.'

Everything was a blur then, and Shizuru then realised, after a second, she had fallen forward onto her Companion. She heard a grunt and like always a response; the breath against her neck was unusually cold, wasn't it to be warm?

'Get onto my back. I'll carry you.'

Her Companion tightened her hold around Shizuru's waist and lifted her up slowly. Shifting the young Meister onto her back, she eased their rucksack forward and adjusted Shizuru once again, pulling the slack hands across her shoulders which immediately took a hold around her neck. Secure. Moving down to pick up the wooden staff that dropped upon movement, Natsuki heaved a breath before pushing up and taking her strides further forward into the deep depths of the undergrowth that of the Makkron Forest.

It was not long after before the ground became a dull green, the bright healthy green moss that once covered the forest floor was now gone. Emerald scanned the area briefly before finding her eyes on a small clearing. Her ears picked up the soft murmur from Shizuru and she pushed up lightly for acknowledgement. Shizuru tightened her hold around the neck of her Companion, hoping to confer the message her lower part of her body had turned numb and it was slowly eating up her body from the piercing source in her stomach.

The light smell of mint was strong against her nose, and she inhaled as much as she could. Her Companion, she was sure, could do nothing, but Shizuru knew at least Natsuki's presence, her smell, her touch was enough to in any case to put her at minimum ease. It seemed as if the journey through the forest was over as Shizuru found herself onto the floor, which surprisingly to her eyes, had turned into dull, dead green.

Or had her vision just become blur again?

'We will set up camp here.'

Shizuru closed her eyes and curled up against what she took was her cloak and trembled. At least, she could have time to rest until morning, to hope, in vain that this was just a normal stomach ache or just a passing sickness that she had caught before leaving the City of Galeria. However rest could not get to her as Shizuru found out that no matter how hard she tried to fall asleep, the pounding of her heart was deafening and the pain unbearable that she found it was eating at her heart. Her legs were long numb, her fingers were starting to lose the sense of touch and Shizuru realised she was afraid of what was happening to her.

She was barely sweating, and she didn't feel any hotter or colder; it was only the pain that shook her body. Shizuru felt a hand rest on her face and she peeked out from under her eye lids to find her Companion's emerald eyes looking down at her form. She moved her mouth and realised that had her voice now been numbed by the pain?

'I have to remove your clothes, Shizuru.'

Natsuki barely heard an answer and she found that it was now impossible to get anything out of Shizuru; she should have taken into consideration that something like what was happening to Shizuru would happen. She should have, especially in the Makkron Forest which was far more different compared to the other forests on Kosarieé. A young Meister's body was definitely not ready to take the nauseous atmosphere of Makkron Forest.

Natsuki had forgotten! She should not have! Shizuru had not even completed one full round of her duties; how could she have forgotten that everything outside Eden was new to Shizuru?

New… Natsuki personally knew she was one of them.

Even having known Shizuru for five years in Eden, Natsuki knew her league of a being someone that could live for an eternity separated her from the norm. She was of course born from a race that no longer existed on Kosarieé. She was already surprised that the high priests of Eden accepted her within the walls of a sanctuary; to have her as a guest; it wasn't what a local in Kosarieé wanted.

However, that wasn't just it; it was more than meets the eye.

'I am your Companion.'

Shizuru had heard it for the second time ever since they had left Eden and she was certain the raw pain that ate away at her heart stopped for a brief moment before it chewed on again. In her hazed state of pain and confusion, she could hear her Companion's voice as clear as a knife and Shizuru had never felt so happy. Shizuru moved, as much as she could to reach out to touch her Companion. Her actions were futile but a flinch was move than enough to send a message over.

'I swear on the wings of Kroft, I will not leave you.'

A hand smoothed her face, before it moved down to untie the knot that kept her cloak over her shoulders. Shizuru smiled, she had hoped, since after Natsuki had left a lingering touch on her face she had gone numb throughout. All she could do was watch through her hazed vision of green to find out what her Companion was trying to do.

Just by watching her Companion's action, Shizuru knew her body was squirming at every touch Natsuki laid on her. Hasn't it always been like this ever since they had met five years ago on landing port of Eden? Yes, it was ever since then. Every time Natsuki touched her, carried her…but wasn't all Companion's do this to their respective Meisters?

Has Natsuki ever served another Meister before her? In those hundred years before meeting her…

It all seemed so possible.

That meant this was nothing more, nothing less than the Meister and the Companion?

Crimson shut immediately once she saw her tunic rise off her abdomen; the sense of touch rushed back to her nerves. The layer of air on her skin burned and her muscles twitched and churned. The pain now was excruciating and she could barely withstand the sting within her body. Shizuru felt her eyes roll back and she trembled violently. So badly had she wanted to curl up into a ball and hug herself until everything disappeared, however the strong rough and firm hands of her Companion stopped her from doing so.

'Ugh.'

Then she felt something get forced into her mouth and she realised a torn piece of cloth had been stuffed into her mouth. Crimson met emerald in a hard clash from all the trashing underneath, and Shizuru found that it was as if something was crawling up her skin and squirming within her body waiting to break out. It was like just now, but now, everything seemed more harsh and desperate.

'Look at me.'

She found it so hard just to bring her eyes to focus on Natsuki, her head was spinning and everything was getting out of order. The core of her body was burning with undivided attention and she found it so hard not bring her hands down to her thighs. What was happening to her? Never had she felt like this in Eden, never had she experience this uncomfortable yet sensational feeling. The pain was ironic, it pleasured her yet it hurt her.

Her hands were held down strong by Natsuki's own and Shizuru had the urge to take them and bring them all over her body. She had the urge to hold her Companion, the urge to kiss her, the urge to…

Dusk was falling upon the forest and Natsuki knew it would turn for the worse if darkness fell on the two, with Shizuru in a state like this; it was an option she could not consider. Her emerald eyes had long studied the seal that wormed across Shizuru's body. From Shizuru's abdomen, it had made its mark. As ugly as it was, it was definitely not a nice sight to view, and it was a surprise to Natsuki at how far it had started to move its way down to Shizuru's core. The rest had shot upwards to Shizuru's chest and squirmed away around her breast and arms.

It had rendered Natsuki to shock actually.

It was not a pleasant sight, since it was unusual for the contract to be activated when Shizuru had not ever called for the activation. Natsuki was unsure, for the first time in her hundred years of experience, why had her beast within her body acted on its own accord. Was it that it shared the desire to be with Shizuru as much as she wanted deep down that it had set up the contract by itself? Yet, how? How was it even possible when she had not performed any rituals together?

Shizuru had not even come to a stage where she had to spend huge amounts of energy; she was still at duties that only required her to do inspections and put up small barriers. Nothing more, nothing less. Shizuru could recharge by herself. Then when had her beast implant its mark into Shizuru when there had been no intimate contact? Natsuki was as lost as anyone would be and she was hesitant on her next move.

Who wouldn't?

In a split second of a motion, Natsuki had not expected it coming. Shizuru had taken hold of her hands and moved them quickly down to her thighs. The process was fast, but with fingers that knew what happened around Kosarieé for years, it took Natsuki less than a second to know every curve and bend of Shizuru's body. However the seal of her beast on Shizuru's body made Natsuki uncomfortable, oddly she herself had not felt uncomfortable from whenever it had wormed its way to Shizuru. Then she felt no ache or any pains, no surface desire to please Shizuru… There was nothing, there was only the same neutral feeling.

Even up till now.

Natsuki felt nothing on the surface.

'Shizuru.'

Emerald knew where exactly those hands of Shizuru wanted to bring her hand to, it was normal, for every beast contract that wanted to be established between Meister and Companion. However, Natsuki was sure this wasn't Shizuru's decision, neither was it hers, then whose was it? Her beast definitely didn't have a mind of its own, the beast was herself, and it was just another part of her, a part of her that defined her as Kruger and no one else.

However, before Natsuki could pull her hand away, Shizuru had taken her hand and given it hard thrust straight in her core. Her ears picked it up, the primal cry of want and desire and it was then Natsuki felt her head swirl in delirium.

Shizuru felt her body shudder and she pulled herself further forward, very much in pain and pleasure. Then and there she could feel this strange flow running in her body. This was a first, very so, and she felt very much in want for more. Yet, what in the world was she doing?

Her crimson eyes then noticed how her hands were holding steady on her Companion hands, which had practically at least two fingers inside her core. What is in world was she…?

'Shizuru!'

Her vision was still blurred but she could see that Natsuki's face was pulled into anger. White teeth were bared at her and those emerald eyes were gleaming off in a dangerous tint. Yet before she could throw out the cloth piece that was placed into her mouth during her trashing, the same pain before the pleasure surged throughout her body, throwing her body back onto the ground.

'Please…Please…'

Her Companion seemed to have not understood what she was muffling through the cloth that was in her mouth, but Shizuru couldn't help but say it over and over again. The urge to have those fingers inside her to please her, to give her something, to give her more than that strange flow that was coursing into her body. Nothing was explained to her when she left Eden for the Ancient's Drifts, nothing. All her mentor and the high priests said was that her Companion was knowledgably enough to explain what exactly will be performed, what will…it was all about this and about that.

However, Natsuki had not even explained anything to her thus far.

There was no mention that this will happen.

Was this even suppose to happen?

'Natsuki!'

The said person was now facing her own problems, not only was her vision double, her breathing was laboured and her body burning with fervour. There was this primal desire to start a ritual on Shizuru, however in her mind, part of it roared out to her that what on the seven islands of Eden was she doing. She could not allow herself to succumb to the beast that brought her race to extinction, yet she could feel that this was the right way after a decade of existence.

She needed to stay on track; she needed to get the permission. She could not just go into the ritual without the consent of the Meister, but what Shizuru had just done… Was that already considered as permission?

'Natsuki! Please…!'

Taking that as a calling, Natsuki shut her eyes tight before opening it to allow the raw power build within her. Pulling over Shizuru, she brought her free hand down to balance herself. Her other hand could feel Shizuru's core heating up, and she could already feel the small motions Shizuru's hand was prompting on her own. Was this what Shizuru wanted? Wasn't she too young a Meister to start a contract with her Companion?

Biting the piece of cloth that she had shoved into Shizuru's mouth out, she was instantly attacked with a fierce kiss that made her feel as if part of her was being sucked out into Shizuru. Natsuki had to pull back quickly, noting how dazed Shizuru was looking at her; one source of contact was already enough for Shizuru to handle. If Natsuki would allow another source to enter Shizuru, she was sure the young Meister's body would not be able to handle the raw power Natsuki had. It was first contact, the first ritual. She did not want to tire Shizuru out.

Furthermore, it was an establishing of a contract.

Natsuki would not allow Shizuru to take in too much; neither could she give out too much when establishing a contract. Companion and Meister was a mutual relation; both of them would have to take the strain.

'Natsuki. Please, oh please!'

'This is not a game, Shizuru.'

Her hand at Shizuru's core was still no matter what Shizuru was applying on her. She needed to be sure that this was what Shizuru, as a young growing Meister, wanted. A contract with a Companion's beast wasn't just a temporary thing. It lasted until the Meister and Companion parted, and the only time then stated upon the sky was death.

'Natsuki.'

Shizuru could barely hear what she was spilling out of her mouth. All she wanted was this pain within to go away, and she definitely knew that whatever she had made Natsuki do was helping it disappear. Her crimson eyes were able to take notice of this strange mark that danced across her skin, it looked sick in a way, but it was flowing in a pattern that provided somewhat comfort. Shizuru had taken liberty in vain to raise her neck and pressed it against the cool skin of her Companion.

'Shizuru, listen to me.'

She shuddered and bit her lip, her mind was clearing. To be able to hear her Companion's voice and words, her sanity was coming back to her, but her mind was still somewhat hazed with some sort of thick miasma. Surprisingly, her Companion's free hand came behind and steadied her…

'Are you sure you want to establish a contract with me now?'

Contract?

'Shizuru.'

'Anything with Natsuki.'

Upon hearing those words, Natsuki felt her heart skip a beat and everything within her settle, before it started pumping back up. Shizuru's breaths were rough against her neck, hot and searing and Natsuki knew she had to get use to this from now on. Lowering her head, Natsuki placed a chaste kiss on the side of Shizuru's cheek.

'Hear me, O Noble watchful hunter of the sky,' Shizuru shivered slightly and Natsuki moved in closer, 'I entrust my beast to aid along side your holy bow. I entrust my body onto your sacred pentagon.'

Shizuru cried out, pulling her hands away from Natsuki's after finding that the plunge done by her Companion herself was far more painful that the first. However, this time, she could feel a sudden surge of power run in her body, like a bolt striking her body. Struggling to find a hold to keep herself down, Shizuru found her hands running up Natsuki's body and encircling her Companion's neck.

However, Natsuki did not end just yet. There were a series of plunges, and Shizuru felt tears well up in her eyes, nonetheless, all she could hear was Natsuki's voice,

'Upon the three stars of your belt, I bind my present, past and future to your hands.'

From the side of her eye, Shizuru was taken aback upon finding those emerald eyes darken after every word,

'I, Kruger Natsuki, Companion of the Bewitching Smile Amethyst of Kosarieé bind Shizuru Viola to the stars of the Western Ray.'

In that ringing moment, Shizuru heard a rough male voice echo in her head. It was frightening and disturbing, but all she could remember before her mind blanked out was the low cry of the word,

'Duran.'

Then everything after turned silent.

* * *

'We will be descending soon.'

Shizuru found herself opening her eyes to her Companion's voice, her eyes readjusting to the light that streamed in. It was dark and the air around her heavy. It was only at night…did that mean that only a few hours had just passed after she passed out? How could that be when Shizuru felt as if she had slept for hours? She moved slightly to find her body securely wrapped down onto her Companion's back with someone's cloak and she felt the instant tingle that ran from her core.

'Shizuru?'

'It hurts.'

Shizuru smoothed her cheek against her Companion's back, feeling the firm muscles of Natsuki's ripple underneath the fabric of the tunic. Her whole body felt sore and tired; oddly, the only thing that was keeping her awake was the surprising strong flow of energy that she could feel within her. She felt her body get pushed up lightly and soon her Companion's voice followed.

'The pain will go away soon.'

'It isn't the pain.'

At that, her Companion's steps haltered and Shizuru immediately pulled her head up from Natsuki's shoulder. Crimson briefly met with emerald before Shizuru felt the arms around her legs that propped her up tighten. She kept quiet at her Companion's actions and she realised that her Companion started to move to the side of the forest path. As her Companion pushed up to a higher level from the forest floor, Shizuru felt the cloak that pressed her body to Natsuki loosen. Soon she found herself sitting down on the ground.

'Natsuki?'

Her Companion didn't answer. Simply, Shizuru watched Natsuki untie her wooden staff that was tied around her waist and settle in onto the empty space beside her. Folding the cloak quickly into her arms, Natsuki pulled down to take a good look at Shizuru.

'What hurts?'

Shizuru found herself lost in answering the question. There was no physical pain; she only felt sore. Unusual for that, indeed, she felt hurt. Her insides felt strangled and messed up, it was as if something was forced inside her body and left there. She noted that the strong flow of energy made her seem out of place. Without a doubt, Shizuru was certain her energy level in her body seemed very out of balance. Was that why she was feeling hurt, not in a physical way, but in a spiritual way.

She was given the title of the Bewitching Smile Amethyst for a reason.

Her element, after all, depended on balance.

Undeniably, Shizuru pointed to the core of her body and timidly looked back to met the emerald that questioned her. Natsuki moved closer and decided to settle herself onto the ground, drawing a circle of ice when she realised it wasn't such a good area to rest since they were so near to the entrance of the descent into the Burning. The air around cooled and Natsuki broke the silence upon finding Shizuru's worried expression that was sketched all over.

'It was your first ritual. It is something you will have to get use to from now on.'

'A ritual?'

Shizuru widened her eyes, was this something that Natsuki were to explain to her, about what Meisters and their Companions had to perform? Was having sex part of it!? She pulled her hands over her core and fought a rising blush on her face. Her head was already confused and muddled with what she and Natsuki had done. Her mind had been pulled along with fever that she could barely remember anything, only lines of her agreeing to form a contract with Natsuki. Wasn't she already with a contract with Natsuki, since Natsuki was her Companion?

Shizuru would have willingly agreed despite anything.

Anything with Natsuki; anything.

Even it was death.

That was already how strongly attached she was to her Companion.

'How does your body feel?'

'Unbalanced.'

Natsuki found it quite amusing, to hear such an answer from Shizuru. She had known Shizuru was clear and precise about her answers when answering, but now, it seemed that she could too turn the other way. Being her Companion, Natsuki knew what Shizuru meant. Nonetheless, she had learned about Shizuru's element ever since their meeting and she was ultimately surprised to find the rare element expressing itself in such a young child, even more surprising, a girl.

Reaching forward to capture Shizuru's hands within her own, she glanced up,

'Can you feel it?'

As expected, she saw those crimson eyes widen, and soon it was followed by a slow uncertain nod. Natsuki could feel it too. She could feel the weak pulse that travelled from the ends of her fingers into Shizuru. It was the energy connection they had now formed, as established after the first ritual the Meister undergoes. Natsuki eased a small grin, much from her pleasure upon finding Shizuru lean forward into her touch,

'It is called an Altec.'

Shizuru found that her Companion confused her more than she wanted to be. First, she had to be taken aback that she could feel an energy transfer into her system from Natsuki by just letting the latter touch her. Secondly, she had now to take in a new word she had never heard before, she was sure she had never heard Meisters with their Companions ever use such a word.

'It is in short for alternate energy compère.' Shizuru made a mental note to stick with the abbreviation.

She felt her Companion give a squeeze and she felt the energy flow increase by a notch,

'This is the link that allows energy transfer from you and me.'

Shizuru pulled her hands back immediately and Natsuki found her hands closing upon space. She focused ahead to find Shizuru bringing her hand away, trembling,

'I'm killing you!'

'This cannot kill me.'

Crimson eyes wavered at her Companion's firm voice. It echoed in the circle of ice and Shizuru found it so haunting. However, no matter how sure Natsuki sounded, Shizuru had a gut feeling that by having the connection will only bring death one step closer to her Companion. What had she done!?

'I'm killing you, Natsuki; I'm sucking your life every time you touch me.'

'Shizuru.'

'I'm a leech! I'm a…!'

'You're a Meister,' Her Companion's voice cut her voice still, 'The Bewitching Smile Amethyst of Kosarieé.'

Shizuru visibly flinched when she found Natsuki's hand reaching out for hers. However, her plans of keeping her hands away from Natsuki were futile as her hands were quickly engulfed by huge and rough ones.

'And I am your Companion.'

There, had Natsuki said it once again. She had never said it over and over again to Shizuru like she knew some other Companions did for their Meisters. She knew it was use to comfort to the Meister, to ensure the Meister that they, Companions, would never leave their side. However Natsuki found out what was the use of saying it over and over again? The relation between Meister and Companion was mutual, their feelings reciprocal.

Within that, there was trust.

Wasn't there?

Natsuki believed in Shizuru and she was certain Shizuru believed in her more than anything else. Yet, sometimes, Natsuki realised Shizuru was still a very young Meister that had just graduated from Eden not to long ago. With that, she noted that she indeed had to assure Shizuru that she will be there. She will be there until death, which was indeed a problem to her.

'As your Companion, it is my duty to help you in your recovery.'

Shizuru had stilled her trembling, but those crimson eyes told Natsuki that she still believed that by doing so, Natsuki would be in danger. There was no danger and Natsuki made sure of it.

Within that moment, Shizuru was taken aback. The pulse of energy that flowed into her stopped almost instantly even though her Companion's hand was pressed hard against hers. Her Companion's voice was strong,

'This cannot kill me.'

'This…Natsuki, I…'

Then, once again, Natsuki pressed down harder onto Shizuru's hands. She had kept her eyes on Shizuru and she was ready for the jerk that she expected, and indeed, she received it. Shizuru could not believe what was happening; the energy flow had returned. She was confused; her Companion seemingly could control the energy transfer.

'It acts like your element Shizuru. It depends on balance.'

'If you are low on energy, my energy will automatically flow into you.'

Natsuki pressed harder, and Shizuru realised how much energy from her Companion's hand was pouring into her system. However suddenly, the strong current stopped like before and crimson looked back into emerald.

'However, when I find that your body is taking in the energy as reserves when it is not needed, I can stop transfer.'

Shizuru saw a smirk,

'After all it is my energy.'

Natsuki lifted her hands off and reached over to smooth Shizuru's hair free from her face. She realised that she had to return to explaining what had Shizuru had established with her. An Altec was one thing but about the contract she had established…was it also part of what was hurting Shizuru? Then, out of the blue, she heard the unexpected from Shizuru.

Very much unexpected, since Shizuru was barely thirteen.

'Does that mean every time I need to recover…' Shizuru played with her fingers and felt her core burn, 'I need to have sex with you?'

Shizuru felt her cheeks burn and she looked up to find her Companion as red as she was. It was an intriguing sight to see, since she believed that Natsuki was to know everything; she did not expect her Companion to blush as red as a tomato. Her Companion shook her head as if to clear something and Shizuru suddenly found emerald turning hard on her.

'No.'

'Then about yesterday…'

'Sex is a ritual. It is an Altec, but of a high order that transfers more energy than a simple touch.'

Suddenly, inside the circle of ice, Shizuru felt the temperature drop.

'Yesterday was not just a ritual. It was for more complex than just a simple transfer of energy.'

Her Companion did not seem pleased. Those emerald eyes seem to harden that itself had turned into the ice her Companion could so easily create. Then Natsuki's smooth voice turned low,

'Do you not remember, Shizuru?'

However, before Shizuru could come up with an answer, Natsuki felt her body quiver slightly. The ice around them shook and Natsuki felt a little more uncomfortable than before. Averting her eyes quickly to the source of change, Natsuki pursed her lips.

'Natsuki.'

Turning back quickly at the choked voice, emerald found Shizuru hunched over, hands clutching at her abdomen, so much like two nights ago. Cursing silently under her breath, Natsuki rose to her full height and threw the spare cloak over Shizuru's quaking form. Taking a step around, Natsuki breathed in deeply before raising her hand up high.

* * *

'Ngh.'

Shizuru shook in her Companion's grasp, the cold air around prickling her bare skin. Her Companion's rough ones were gentle on her even though how strong their grip were on her body. Through the thick layer of ice, all she could see was the thick dull green foliage that loomed over. Her warm breath wafted around her face and Shizuru pulled herself closer to her Companion that cradled her.

Her stomach had started to burn again like before, except now, its ferocity had tamed down. There was churning, twisting and turns happening all inside her, yet Shizuru still did not know what was inside of her. The skin above her stomach was itching and it felt as if something was snaking up her body. Her Companion turned silent ever since unleashing a sudden attack all around the circle of ice, which she had later brought up to form a dome around them.

Crimson closed and struggled to stay conscious within the coldness of the dome that ate away at her skin, and the fire that burned within her.

'Natsuki?'

Shizuru heard a grunt and her crimson eyes kiss those of emerald. Without much of a wait, her Companion questioned,

'What is it Shizuru?'

'Why are we not moving on?'

There was a stretch of silence before Natsuki lowered her lips to brush across Shizuru's forehead, making Shizuru snuggle in further to her Companion's arms. Shizuru's ears picked up her Companion's smooth voice and somehow the pain within subsided,

'It is now not a good time.'

'When will it be?'

The rough hand that propped her up against her Companion body moved up from below her knees to her waist and Shizuru flinched slightly when it grazed her abdomen. Natsuki pressed her cheek against Shizuru's hair and breathed in deeply, exhaling,

'Until this stops burning.'

Shizuru moved her head slightly, forcing her Companion's head to slide down to press against her cheek. She could feel the awkwardly cold breath of her Companion against her face and her own hot breath bouncing off. Those lips which she kissed before in Eden were so near to her, yet she knew she could not just blindly claim to kiss them just as she liked it. Having established the Altec with her Companion and its uses, Shizuru still felt that she was bringing death to Natsuki despite having been reassured that she wouldn't.

After all, she was playing with the energy that ran through Natsuki's veins.

Companions…

Wasn't Natsuki more to her than just a Companion?

Without much thought, the ringing question from Natsuki before echoed in her mind and Shizuru felt her stomach heat up. What could she remember? All she could remember was agreeing to a contract…but what contract? Weren't they already of Meister and Companion? What further contract would they need to be in? Apart from that, Shizuru could definitely remember the intercourse… that was something that she definitely couldn't forget. With that, the fiery sensation somehow ran down to her core, jerking her slightly.

Shizuru leaned up slightly to brush against the cold lips of her Companion, struggling to control her trembling when she pulled back. She had felt that jolt run through her, was Natsuki giving her energy right at this moment? She could not tell, those hands holding her were still, and she could feel no pulse of energy running from them into her. Then, that kiss?

Shizuru had realised that her Companion had stilled, and those emerald eyes darkening. Those lips which she had kissed thinned into a line and she found that the burning within her had been brought up a notch. It burned and seared her insides, but Shizuru found it strange that she was now miraculously able to withstand the intensity, trembling slightly, once in a while in the seconds that stretched in the silence her Companion had created.

'Natsuki?'

Unexpectedly, her lips were pressed against Natsuki's and she felt the strong arms around her pull her in. There was that jolt of energy again and unusually the snaking on her skin stopped, the burns within her subside and then everything stilled. Crimson eyes watched her Companion pull back; breathing slightly ragged and to her astonishment, found dark pitch black eyes staring right back at her.

Eyes so black that Shizuru feared that if she would keep on looking, she would drown in the endless abyss it seemed to carry. Where had the emerald gone to, the emerald colour that she looked onto so often on her recent travel to the different countries of Kosarieé. Shizuru was worried and a tad bit frighten at what had just happened to her Companion. She had realised that her hands were covered in an unfamiliar mark that slithered unearthly around her fingers, the same marking spreading from her Companion's eye.

'Natsuki! What is…?'

'Well, isn't this the Bewitching Smile Amethyst of Kosarieé.'

Shizuru struggled to pull out from her Companion's grasp, seemingly so, since out from Natsuki's mouth was a voice a male, so low and haunting. It apparently sounded exactly like the voice she had heard echo in her mind before passing out. That low male voice. However, much to Shizuru's struggling, her Companion's grip just tighten down on her body. It wasn't the gentle touch previously, it was harsh and Shizuru winced at the sudden change of implied force.

'You are indeed a beauty.'

This was definitely not Natsuki. This person that was holding her now was not that of her Companion mentally, though psychically it was Natsuki. Shizuru knew very well that her Companion would not say such things to her, ever since knowing her for five years on the plains of Eden. Never in a conversation, would Natsuki show her true feelings to Shizuru, even though how much unbalance of emotion she could feel from within Natsuki.

Shizuru curled up, bringing her hands up against her chest. What in Kosarieé had just possessed her Companion? What could have happened in that kiss? It was only a kiss! What had she done to turn Natsuki…?

'My apologies.' Her Companion spoke with a tinge of hilarity, so much different from her normal solemn tone,

'I have not introduced myself properly to you.'

The grip on her loosen slightly, but it was still firm.

'I am Orion, the hunter of the sky.'

* * *

'This is Duran.'

Shizuru found herself looking straight into the deep emerald eyes that mirrored those of Natsuki's. It was the same shade and it shared the same intensity that Natsuki had when she had her eyes on Shizuru. It seemed so alike that Shizuru had the notion to call out her Companion's name.

The arms that held her were now on either side her body, resting on the thighs of her Companion. Shizuru, herself, was propped up against the form of her Companion, her back to the front of Natsuki's.

Except, for this moment, Natsuki wasn't Natsuki's mentally.

She was Orion, just for now. The god that could use Natsuki's body ever since having established a contract with him. A contract… that he had explained to Shizuru briefly. About what she had done in the ritual and what she had agreed into coming with a contract with her Companion. A contract with a beast, a contract that made the Meister more powerful and their relation with the Companion more stable than ever. She had understood, somewhat, but what exactly was Natsuki's beast?

Within a few seconds, Shizuru settled her eyes onto a brief shape of a giant wolf that formed out, quite shockingly from ice that appeared from nowhere within the small vicinity of the ice dome. Those eyes just locked onto her, and Shizuru could hear a call of longing and she could faintly recognise that within that call was Natsuki's smooth voice.

Unconsciously, Shizuru slipped out her Companion's name,

'Natsuki?'

There was a breath of excitement from behind her and then Orion spoke through Natsuki's form,

'Yes. That wolf, you can say, is Natsuki.'

Natsuki? A wolf, a beast? How can that be possible when Natsuki is a human, a being that was brought about from the creation of light through the process of when Kosarieé was formed? A being that could walk, talk, eat, live and die… Die?

Natsuki couldn't die. She hasn't for the last decade. Was she…human?

'Duran is Natsuki's beast.'

Shizuru felt her stomach churn and the contract mark on her fingers burn slightly. She turned around to find Natsuki's face all ready fully covered by the same mark and those dark lifeless eyes looking above her. It averted to her and she saw no emotion but heard the hilarity through Orion's deep low voice. It echoed in the dome and it made Shizuru shiver,

'Well, you can simply put it as; Duran is Natsuki's alter ego.' Shizuru turned back to look at the wolf that started to approach her and her Companion's form, 'The other of side of Natsuki.'

Was this why Shizuru could always feel the unbalance within her Companion? However, they were one, why would there be unbalance? Feeling her stomach churn once again and her core sear slightly, Shizuru moved her hands down and covered them. Her action didn't go unnoticed and Orion leaned forward slightly, eliciting a hitch of a breath from Shizuru.

'That burning sensation you feel,' Orion's words tickled her ear, 'it was strong wasn't it?'

Shizuru nodded her head, unsure whether she should speak to the god that she and her Companion were bound to for protection and strength. Staying still, Shizuru felt the prickling feel increase as the said wolf Duran trotted icily towards her and unknown to her, throbbing through her finger from the mark was a new found energy.

'That sensation you feel now and have been feeling is the conflict of desire.'

Shizuru held her breath.

'The desire from Duran and Natsuki.'

The wolf lowered itself down in front of Shizuru and blew a warm breath out, turning the air around into white vapour.

'The desire to be one with you.'

Turning around quickly, Shizuru met up with the dark pitch black eyes and faltered slightly upon finding a grin forming upon Natsuki's face. She felt a hand snake up her body and rest on her abdomen. Upon the light contact, Shizuru flinched and felt the burning sensation rise a level. It didn't burn at her stomach; it burned at her fingers, where the contract mark was, snaking around her fingers like a snake.

Duran had gotten off its position on the ground and had moved closer to nestle its head onto the lap of Shizuru, making crimson widen in shock and shiver at the strange sensation that coursed from her stomach and her fingers, altogether, a weird combination of pain and pleasure. Shizuru daringly lifted up her hand, and ran a hand down the cold length of the wolf on her lap. To her astonishment, the searing pain at her fingers stopped momentarily before coming back.

Orion let off a low chuckle before lifting a hand to show a common gesture of acknowledgement,

'You are indeed different, Meister Viola.'

'Does that mean that Natsuki desires to be one with…?'

'Ah, that is where you're wrong.'

Shizuru lifted her hand off the ice on her and stared at the emerald eyes of the wolf that look side along at her. She was dumbfounded. Wasn't Duran and Natsuki one? If Duran wanted her, then shouldn't it mean that Natsuki wanted her as well? Orion seemed to have caught onto the distress from just the mere blank expression from Shizuru and he eased out slowly,

'Duran is part of Natsuki, yes. However Natsuki still overpowers the primal mind of her beast. Deep down, she desires you, and Duran, as a part of her expresses it. Yet on the surface, Natsuki has feelings of neutrality to you.'

'Then why?

'Listen, listen, Meister Viola. It is the conflict of desire.'

Conflict? Shizuru felt her body tremble, why a conflict? Why would there be even a conflict of desire? That meant…

'The burning sensation shows the raw desire from Duran. The pain is the uncertainty from Natsuki.'

Orion watched Shizuru visibly tense up and her eyes widen, but nevertheless he continued, it was after all the truth,

'The more pain means the more…'

'Natsuki doesn't trust me!?'

At that splitting moment, Orion watched Duran break down into small shards of ice as Shizuru scrambled to her knees and away from him. He could feel it in the atmosphere, upon Natsuki's skin was the unbalance. The Bewitching Smile Amethyst before him was trembling whether in pain or sadness, he could not decipher. The energy level within the ice dome was thrown off scale and those crimson eyes locked upon on him in disbelief. Yet, whatever he was saying was true. Except he did not expect Shizuru to interpret his words like that.

He knew, certainly, that Natsuki believed deeply in Shizuru.

Through his dark eyes, he caught onto Shizuru's hand clutching her fingers and her face pulled into pain mixed along with anguish. He could tell that tears were ready to pour from those crimson eyes; after all, Shizuru genuinely loved her Companion.

'She does trust you, Meister Viola.'

'Then why!'

She grasped her fingers together and pushed them to her chest, her voice was stuck in her throat and she felt all she wanted to do was to cry. She daren't not look up to settle her gaze on those dark eyes, she was afraid, she was scared that Orion would disappear and those emerald eyes would reappear to greet her. Those emerald eyes…

'That, you will have to ask her yourself, Meister Viola.'

Shizuru closed her eyes and she felt a tear escape and she held her breath, hoping to keep the pain within her fingers and her chest. To her surprise, she had not expect Orion to continue,

'It is the balance Meister Viola. I'm sure you would have felt it a long time ago.'

Balance? Did he seemingly refer to the unbalance within Natsuki? The unbalance within Natsuki that she could not figure out why? Why her Companion had this uncertain unbalance within her body that put Shizuru off at times. Was this the unbalance that was being expressed now by Duran and Natsuki within her and all through a contract?

'It is like this because Natsuki still has to learn.'

Shizuru brought her eyes up slowly to meet fading black that had turned slightly grey.

'Learn?'

'That, Meister Viola. You will have to teach her.'

With that, Shizuru settled on the emerald of Natsuki and she felt the burn of her fingers cease and the marks disappear on her fingers. Her stomach churned slightly and she fell forward, only to find herself falling into the arms of her Companion.

'Shizuru!'

Shizuru instantly curled herself up against the rough hands that held her and she cried inwardly,

'What am I to teach her?'

* * *

'We are going to descend into the Burning.'

Shizuru watched her Companion tie an unusual knot to hold her cloak on her shoulder before lifting their rucksack onto her board shoulders. In her own hands, she held her wooden staff and the spare cloak that Natsuki had taken out from the rucksack earlier. The ice dome was melting slowly around them and Shizuru could already feel the strong disturbing atmosphere of the Makkron Forest. It was much different from when they first entered; it was harsh and depressing, and it was as if it something was literally pressing down onto her.

Her stomach was no longer burning; it was only tingling with a slight soreness. Her finger were somewhat aching and her feet unsure and unstable. She felt new standing up, which was indeed very uncomfortable for Shizuru. Why so, she guessed it was all from the interaction with Orion and the first experience from establishing a contract with Natsuki's beast, Duran.

Her Companion had kept quiet ever since regaining herself spiritually, it seemed as if she need not to ask or probe about whether Shizuru had known what happened during the first ritual, the contract that they had established and certainly about the unbalance terms she had within herself between Duran, that made Shizuru feel like so.

Shizuru herself did not want to question her Companion. It was as if everything had been sealed up and put away, and everything now was focussed on travelling into the Burning of the Makkron Forest. This contract… This problem she had to solve was something that could wait for another time.

'Are you feeling better Shizuru?'

Crimson met with emerald and Shizuru gave a small nod,

'Yes. Much better.'

There was a grunt of acknowledgement from Natsuki and her free hand was engulfed by huge one of her Companion. In an instant, Shizuru could feel the soft pressure of energy entering her system. She glanced briefly at Natsuki and her Companion stopped her step forward,

'I'm sorry.'

All Shizuru could do was to lower her head and force a small smile.

What was there to be sorry about?

* * *

**A/N:** Venture into the Burning. What exactly will Shizuru expect within the depths of the Makkron Forest and personally, her Companion?

If there are any questions, feel free to pop in a message.

***Note from J-Crusader:** If anyone is interested on seeing the height comparison between Natsuki, Shizuru and Mai in Companion, feel free to drop by my homepage and look under the post titled 'Ceramic' for the image.

Just on another note, (insisted by my muse and Production 797) the poll on 'Your favourite Mai-Hime one-shots' will remain open until one can see a clear distinction between your favourite and not! Those who are not members and wish to vote, feel free to drop a quick note on my homepage with the title of your favourite one-shot. The results will only be revealed when the clear line is distinguished. Well, I am terribly sorry for this but I hope this can get through!

Then again, until next time,

Cheers!


	5. Makkron Forest: reflections 2

**A/N:** The second part to Makkron Forest: Reflections is here. We all hope you will enjoy the second part of the Reflections installment. It will be long and we hope that it will not dissapoint. There will be a lot of content in the dialogue and we hope that it will bring an new insight to the relationship between Shizuru and Natsuki.

A big Thank you, once again, to all those that have read, reviewed, and added this story to alert or favourite. It really means a lot to know that people still support this story.

Then again, until the end:

* * *

There were fleeting moments, Natsuki would find. She would find herself watching the blue sky of Eden, finding that the clouds indeed looked like what Shizuru had described to her. It was the time she would find her head on this young girl's lap. Her shoulder length hair splayed out in all directions, and she would be able to feel warm fingers massaging her scalp. It would be under a blue sky.

A blue sky full of clouds…

A sky that Shizuru would say,

'It will rain today.'

Indeed, it would rain, an hour later or late in the twilight. It would be then when Natsuki would find herself watching the blue sky of Eden, lost in the echoes of Shizuru's words of how fluffy the clouds looked. How it would rain.

She would hear the rain.

She would hear the soft patter upon the grass.

In the distance, nothing but rain.

Coincidentally or not, Natsuki found herself, looking up in a sky. Yet, this time it wasn't a blue sky, like those seen in Eden. There were no clouds; there were no signs of rain. There was nothing but bleakness and darkness. However, the only thing that Natsuki could find oddly similar was that her hair, now long was splayed out in all directions, warm trembling fingers holding her head and all this overlooked by crimson eyes.

Those crimson eyes.

Those that belonged to the ones that would say it would rain.

Would it rain?

'Shizuru.'

Natsuki found her voice dry and it sounded like breaking glass. Emerald eyes could barely figure her surroundings, but she was sure that she was within the warm embrace of Shizuru's element. It was tingling at her skin, clinging onto her like how Shizuru would hold her hand when the road was tiring. There was that certain balance, in and outside of her. Shizuru was there, holding her. Yet, why and where was she? The sky was bleak, added with a hue of blue; the blue of ice. The air was cold.

'Natsuki?'

Natsuki closed her eyes briefly; holding her breath, only to release it when she found her insides burning. Her lungs were aching, her fingers sore and her legs covered with something heavy.

She was still alive.

Yes.

Very much alive.

Alive…

Her sense of touch and feel was coming back to her and Natsuki noted how her face stung; she must have been slammed into something to have her face stinging in such pain. She could feel that her lips were cracked, most likely split. The taste of copper was strong in her mouth; at least she had not bitten off her tongue.

Her emerald found crimson in a glance again and Natsuki dragged her left arm upward to find that her healing process was already underway. It was normal to find parts of her body being layered and encased in a smooth layer of dry ice. A biting feel that numbed every sensation that came first and then it would break into an oddly warm comfortable feeling. It was unusual, since it was ice that was around her, healing her, keeping her very much alive.

'Are you…'

'Very much alive, Shizuru.'

She was after all a Kruger, someone that could live for an eternity, waiting for that due time when she is allowed to die and see a new world…

Natsuki looked into crimson and found the worry that was scrawled all over. It was etched clearly onto that smooth face. She wondered, ever since that day on the landing port, why had this particular young girl cared for her so much.

Wasn't she someone unwanted?

Yet up until now, Shizuru was still worrying over her.

Loving her…

A warm hand ran down from her hair to her cheek, bringing it along a tantalizing sensation that made Natsuki lean in in response. She kept her gaze fixed on Shizuru and she found herself bringing a cold hand to grip the one that grazed down her face. Shizuru made no further movement and Natsuki only found Shizuru leaning over to her. She leaned in until Natsuki could feel her bleeding lips meet those of Shizuru, it was just a brush and Natsuki found that it elicited a strange feeling from within her and she stilled to find a familiar call ring through her head.

'_You desire her as much as I do.'_

Natsuki jerked her head away and bit onto her torn lips; so clearly could she hear her beast call out to her. She shuddered weakly, and somehow those crimson eyes didn't take notice of it. She could hear nought but a small breath escaping Shizuru's lips and the best Natsuki could do then was to close her eyes and rest.

Rest when you are alive.

Alive to live longer to see another dying day.

Natsuki felt those warm hands caress her head and she sunk even deeper into a calm comatose state. She could hear Shizuru's steady breathing, the crackle of the dry ice against her skin and certainly she could smell the strong smell of charred flesh mixed with the freshness of the ocean. Everything in her mind was bleak as it was and Natsuki found herself sitting face to face with her furry beast, in a void covered in darkness.

She was in her own world, her mind, her subconscious.

Her Mascaron.

However, so clearly and vividly could she pick up what was around her in her conscious state. Shizuru's breathing was against her face, warm and soothing. Something so certain she could grasp tightly on. Something that she desired too.

'Do not fool yourself, Natsuki.'

Her emerald eyes glanced up to meet equal verdant ones,

'Wasn't I always the fool?'

Those shards of ice that covered Duran crackled like the sounds from the dry ice in reality and Natsuki moved to cover her arm. Duran was motionless as ever, calmly sitting on his hind legs, his snout held high and his chest pushed forward with power. He was the epitome of Natsuki's desire, the calm and collected person she was years ago. Now she was just another splitting image of her dying race, forcing herself to hide away from learning more. Hiding behind knowledge from the olden age.

'Yes, the biggest fool I have been mastered by.'

'I don't need your pity. You have done enough to mock me.'

Duran snorted, and Natsuki merely moved her eyes to her feet. Her boots covered in thick mud and small clumps of burning red ash that glowed menacingly. His words were low and rough, so much like Orion, hunter of the sky; the guiding stars that she was born under, the stars that gave her protection for so long. Duran spoke to her, in words Natsuki could not help but frown to,

'To mock you, I would have done something else.'

'What would you have done? You have already laughed at me when I vowed at the sanctum of Eden, pledging my eternity to Shizuru.'

Duran remained passive like always and Natsuki chided,

'You mark her as yours with your seal and force me into a contract with her; you do not call that mocking?'

'Natsuki.'

'How can she possibly stabilise your powerful form when she is merely a Meister that has just graduated from the Order of Eden.'

'Natsuki.'

'How can she possibly satisfy your needs when she's only thirteen?! I've robbed her of her innocence!'

The walls of this void seemingly shuddered at her voice but Duran only seemed to look more magnificent, eating away at her anger. Natsuki continued despite his silence, engulfing her bleak world with her voice so strong yet trembling weak,

'How can I possibly listen to you and her at the same time? How can I even live my own life with something that belongs to me gnawing at her bones?'

'Natsuki.'

'I can only do this much!'

Natsuki raised her hand up to her face, crushed her fingers together into a fist and shook it dangerously at her beast that sat across her. Duran remained still, and it wasn't long before silence took its toll then did he speak again,

'You can do so much more, Natsuki.'

'What do you possibly want me to do!?'

It was then did Natsuki notice something she had not noticed after living for a century. Duran looked as if he was in pain and his wolfish face contorted in anguish. His smirk was not there like she always saw him in her world of darkness; instead what she saw clearly was disturbance and distress. He wasn't at ease either.

'I want you to make it rain, Natsuki.'

Natsuki felt her eyes widen and she felt something heavy get lifted of her chest. Duran's words seem to echo within her ears and she slowly realised that her beast was breaking apart. His fur of ice shards shattering into pieces, and what were left were his emerald eyes that mirrored hers. His voice low and husky like hers resonated in her bleak void, and Natsuki found herself looking up into crimson once again.

'Rain.'

Shizuru looked as shocked as she could ever be in those five years of knowing her and Natsuki merely closed her eyes briefly to erase the fragments of Duran that lingered in her mind. However those haunting words of her beast rung like a death bell within her. How was she to make it rain when she could only make a rain of torrential ice that brought hell onto those that opposed her?

'Natsuki.'

'We better get moving.'

She lifted her head up, which much pain, knowing that the juncture that linked her head to her spine had been forcibly twisted before. Natsuki could feel the ice around her neck and she only realised a second later that almost her whole body was covered in ice.

How could she have forgotten?

A hole had been made in her abdomen and what had been left was frozen with the ice had moulded into her body. Her left arm seemed chewed apart and what remained were the bones that were slowly being reformed with the flesh within the ice around. Her feet were somehow intact and joined to her unharmed legs, but her right hand looked as if it suffered the most even though it was still intact.

It was black within the casing of ice; her finger bones could be seen and her eyes seemingly caught onto the black reddish rot that flowed freely within the healing process. It wasn't to be in there; the black rot of the Burning. Chewing on her lacerated lips, Natsuki smashed her right hand to the ground, causing Shizuru that sat behind to gasp tightly.

Heaving a quick breath of pain, Natsuki watched the flesh of her right hand drop to the ground, breaking along with the ice shards that healed it. The air around her right arm tightened and Natsuki growled as she focussed her eyes on it, hoping that another layer of ice will quickly form on it before the rotting spell of the Burning made its way back to hinder the healing process.

However, noticing that her body was already at her limit at producing so many ice wraps on her body, Natsuki choked and whimpered as the pain from her wounded right hand flowed back into her senses. Heaving another breath to try to steady herself, she felt a warm hand envelope her built and she look up to find Shizuru bending over her broken form, holding her gently.

Her voice then sounded so much like her mother; gentle, kind, caring and above all, it provided her warmth and assurance,

'Natsuki.'

The same tantalising feeling she felt before and Natsuki could do nothing but curl into a ball and be embraced in a whole by Shizuru's element, let alone Shizuru herself. Natsuki heard a soft cry within her walls and she opened her eyes to it, to find herself watching Shizuru tend to her wounds like how she always did back in Eden.

Under the blue sky with those fluffy clouds.

Those clouds that would rain.

Those crimson eyes that studied her until this day, those darks eyes that could seemingly sparkle like a ruby under the darkest sky and seemingly the life that made Natsuki feel that another century would be worth living. Then again, how? When everything around her was made bleak. When everything was made for her to follow blindly and do blindly.

It wasn't a world she found worth living in, even after a century.

What could she learn more when the world despised her?

Or was it the other way around?

Shizuru's enigmatic powers only made Natsuki relax further into Shizuru and emerald kept her gaze fixed on crimson that looked at her with worry and concern. In situations like this, it was always worry and concern she would look at Natsuki with, nothing more and nothing less, so much indifference that Natsuki wished that Shizuru could look at her with a true knowing look that she knew the young girl had.

Then again, how? When Natsuki had forced herself to live in her own bleak world; bleak and dark as it could be. Then what world would Duran be living in? A world much like hers…with so much anguish that he yearns for freedom. Her freedom.

'_After all, it is your life.'_

Natsuki closed her eyes upon hearing his deep voice and smiled softly when she felt Shizuru's hand caress her swollen cheek. Natsuki could feel ice grow onto Shizuru's skin and she whispered within her bleak world,

'I would make it rain.'

* * *

'Natsuki?'

All Shizuru heard back was a soft grunt, a grunt that didn't hold as much power as she knew it could. Within the air of coldness trapped within the ice dome Natsuki had created before she passed out due to the severe blood loss, Shizuru breathed out airily as she smoothed her Companion's hair down for the umpteenth time,

'Are you feeling better?'

There was a moment of silence, the crackle of the dry ice upon her Companion's wounds the only source of noise, before Shizuru's ears picked up Natsuki's voice from her lap,

'Alive, Shizuru.'

Those emeralds which she sought to look at was hidden well behind closed eye lids and Shizuru kept quiet in asking more about her Companion's health at the current state of time. The ice dome had been up for at least half a day, if Shizuru had kept track of time correctly. It was before sunrise had she and Natsuki entered into the Burning. Judging from the light that shone through the small crevasse of the walls of the Burning, Shizuru guessed as much that it was at least the time of dusk outside in Makkron Forest.

The ice dome was healthy, the clean clear ice allowed Shizuru to see whatever was outside. However, it was not certainly a place that Shizuru wanted to see. Ever since she entered into the Burning, she felt even more nauseous than when she entered the Makkron Forest. The balance within her body was already long tipped due the strong force of Duran residing within her. However, within the Burning, it felt as if her balance was being forcefully overthrown by the menacing forces that surged within this dark underworld.

Shizuru had walked through the large opening created by those large roots of the Makkron trees, along with her Companion.

The gateway to the Burning.

She could remember clearly descending onto soft slimy ground, her boots feeling as if it was being pulled off her feet. She was hoisted onto her Companion's back after about five minutes through the descent and she found that the soreness within her stomach which she had felt previously had disappeared almost instantly and her fingers felt cool and chilled.

It was as if ice had surrounded her entire being.

Her Companion kept as silent as a spirit along the descent into the Burning and it was only until they had finally touched ground zero of this nauseous place, then did Natsuki speak. Her voice was unsteady as Shizuru realised and Natsuki spoke as if she had been beaten along the way. Her emerald eyes didn't seem to sparkle and Shizuru could only figure that she kept her hold tight around her Companion's neck.

'To be safe is to be broken. To be at a loss is to be unabated.'

Shizuru remembered her vision get hazy at those words and she had only noticed a mere second later that she had been laid on the somewhat firm ground to rest. Her wooden staff that she had passed over to Natsuki was forcibly wedged into the ground before her and Shizuru found herself in her own defence barrier a notion later.

Her body had acted on its own accord.

The presence of her Companion died somewhat into something mellow and Shizuru watched in awe as Natsuki shed her cloak and drew a circle of icicles around her. In a blink later did she then find the place around her brighten in terrifying red and orange. She could see clearly then and there what was around her, and Shizuru was indeed horrified at what lay around her.

From where she sat upright on the ground, her eyes set sight onto pitch black objects that loomed over her, from within them glowing with vivacity was an orangey red substance. They looked like humans, but they seemingly did not look like humans either. There were more than the normal four limbs coming from what seemed to be their body; snaking out inhumanly like it wasn't to be in there. Its head look too big for its body to hold and they walked as if glued to the ground, slow and druggy.

A gasp was caught in her mouth and Shizuru noticed that they walked pass her as if she was not there, or was it that they did not pay any attention to her. Her eyes darted up when the barrier that protected her hissed and she hid her agape mouth behind her hands, in vain to try to not scream out. It looked as if a thousand of those creatures lived within this place, crawling unearthly on the cracked walls of this dark world below the growing Makkron Forest.

Her crimson eyes could make out the huge roots of the Makkron trees above that have long grown deep into the walls of the Burning, glowing red as she could have ever imagined. It looked as if it was feeding on something, but feeding off what? There was this great unbalance within the Burning, but Shizuru then could not place what exactly was causing this tip.

The Burning brightened up greatly from its bleakness to something of great power and vivacity. It burned like fire and Shizuru could see from where she sat on the ground that the Burning seemed to stretch for miles and miles. The ground below her flared up, but in an instant, it was covered with ice and its cooling nature. At that moment, her eyes darted over quickly to her Companion, to find Natsuki surrounded by those creatures of the Burning.

She had wanted to scream out, but somehow, she couldn't. Her voice had died before she could open her mouth. Shizuru had wanted to move, but it was as if a spell had been casted on her that prevented from doing anything. All she could do was to widen her eyes when a dark menacing voice that seemed to sound like a million voices resonate throughout the atmosphere.

It sounded dead.

It sounded like death itself.

It slurred and it hissed at the same time, a mix of what Shizuru thought were the groans of Great Turin Salamanders and the nagging of the old Bishops in Eden.

'It has been a long time since we last felt your presence on our grounds. What does the Great Kruger want this time, after so long?'

'I want nothing but a safe passage through your humble home.'

Everything around her seem to chuckle in amusement and Shizuru could only chew onto her lower lip as her Companion stood calmly within her ring of ice.

'Humble? Has the Great Kruger finally lowered her pride?'

Shizuru gripped tight onto her tunic, wishing that her stomach would churn at least a little, to give her at least some comfort that her Companion was going to be alright. However, nothing within her reverberated to her wish. All she received then was the flicker of fire amongst the black that surrounded Natsuki.

'I have long lowered my pride a century ago, when my family perished.'

'We are not surprised by your family's demise; we are only surprised how you are still alive and living healthy.'

'There is nothing to be surprised.'

Shizuru caught onto a flash of emerald within the dark flurry but she could only still any further actions when the eerie voices sounded again,

'We know there is more than one of you humans within our land. We can feel it, someone full of life and power.'

She could feel it; the itching sensation of being chewed at her skin was making her feel even more unbalanced.

'A little girl or boy perhaps, Great Kruger? It seems likely, since how eager you made your presence known to us. It shows how hasty you want things to be.'

Shizuru could only hold her figure still and watch on silently as her Companion made no move or say any protest against what was thrown against her. She trembled and held tighter onto her tunic as the creatures of the Burning moved slowly around Natsuki, groaning loudly,

'You never change.'

'I have changed.'

'For the better, we hope. It will be such a pity to see the last Great Kruger perish for something she willingly did not want to do.'

Everything sniggered and her Companion seemed to look more lifeless than she already was.

'Enough with the banter.'

Shizuru could only turn and find her eyes widening even more at the sight that came up behind her. A fine young man dressed with clothes that shone with elegance, seemingly made of silk that intertwined with cotton. There was this light feel just by looking upon it and Shizuru was shocked by his appearance than who he was.

He was shorter than Natsuki, Shizuru could tell. His head full of hair was cropped neatly, his hair the colour of mercury, his eyes the colour of burning ash and his skin colour pale like the waning moon. He was skinny to the bone, but at the angle where he stood by Shizuru to look at her through her defences, he looked strong and outstanding like that of Prince Steiner of Galeria.

The creatures of the Burning seem to dissipate around Natsuki as he glided over to her Companion within her ring of ice. Everything seem to quieten down and still when this mysterious man stood in front of Natsuki. The glowing vivacity seem to die down into a light golden colour and Shizuru heard the man's voice once again, and this time she could place a word to how his voice sounded like.

It was morose, but it had the air of contentment that Shizuru found it unduly strange. Then it struck her like no other; strong and overpowering; he was certainly the cause of all this unbalance. Yet how was such a fine looking man able to throw everything around disarray?

'What does the Great Kruger seek this time?'

'A safe passage through your land, nothing more, nothing less.'

He chuckled as if amused, exactly like what the creatures had done before. He raised his hand up high and walked around Natsuki, flickering his hand as if to conjure something from the atmosphere,

'To be safe is to be broken; what are you willing to offer to me, Great Kruger?'

Shizuru caught onto a flicker of life within her Companion's eyes but she heard nothing from Natsuki. The unearthly moans and groans picked up around Shizuru and it only stopped when the young man brought his hand down and shot his finger towards her direction,

'Is that young Meister your offer, Great Kruger? My, it will be an unpleasant waste of life.'

Shizuru stiffened and her eyes locked onto those ashen coloured eyes of the young man. How was it possible that he knew what status she was of? It was already frightening how he was able to look pass her defence barrier but to find out how powerful she was, it was terrifying. Shizuru had jerked her head to look at Natsuki and somehow she was afraid that she was indeed the offer. Then again, Natsuki wouldn't do that to her…would she?

'What are you in need of within your land, Prince Aamon?'

'Everything, Great Kruger.'

Shizuru felt stripped all of a sudden and she felt as if something was eating her from the outside, was this what Prince Aamon was putting up? A Prince? A Prince of the underworld of Makkron? How fitting it all seemed all of sudden, this unbalance that overrides within him.

'You do not need everything, for you already have everything. I am sure your people are in need of something more specific.'

'Ah? Can you read the future now Great Kruger?'

'No, but you can.'

The prince seemed stunned for a moment, but he recollected himself faster than Shizuru had imagined. It was in a blink of an eye, did his face suddenly change into of a raven.

'I was certainly expecting your arrival, but I wasn't expecting that of a Meister.'

White canine teeth from his beak flashed and Shizuru was brought to cover her mouth once again to stop her from saying something anything that might trouble her Companion. It was beyond words to describe what the Prince had changed into. Those ashen coloured eyes had screwed to become so tiny like a bead and it moved like a globe in its socket, scrutinising her as if she was a pest to his world. A sneer came out from his beak and he raised his hand once again into the air,

'My people need a new stomach to satisfy their hunger, and hands to ease their daily work load.'

'Is that all Prince Aamon?'

'Can you offer me that, Great Kruger? All From a young Meister?'

Her Companion was the one that chuckled this time round, her white teeth flashing like the Prince's canine teeth,

'Whoever said she was the one I was willingly to offer?'

'Oho?'

Her Companion snapped her fingers and her ring of ice shattered into bits; bringing her defences to a null. Shizuru, then and there screamed at the top of her lungs, upon realisation that Natsuki was offering herself up for Shizuru for a safe passage through the Burning. What was this? What was this all about? Was this already planned that she would carry Natsuki's beast while Natsuki perished for Shizuru's good will? What was this stupid act her Companion was putting up?

This was not what Natsuki would do!

Natsuki would have thought about something more…more…

Natsuki would have…

Shizuru had brought her fist onto her own defence barrier, shaking the void that kept her safe while she watched in horror and grief as her Companion was swallowed by the creatures of the Burning. It was unsightly to see Natsuki's hands get ripped from its joints and a hole get punched through her body. Emerald eyes was still flickering with life and the agony that tore through her face was inerasable from Shizuru's mind.

'Natsuki!'

'The Great Kruger is smart, young nameless Meister.'

Shizuru had spun around quickly, shaken to her wits end that the Prince of the Burning could do something nasty despite agreeing to the agreement made by her Companion. He was inside her defence barrier, no more than an arm's length away from her, what more can he do than kill her? Placing her footing firmly on the ice covered ground; Shizuru was more than ready to attack than defend. What was there to lose, when Natsuki was no more by her side?

'People tend to forget that the Great Kruger has eternity running through her veins.'

In an instant, his raven face changed back into that of a man, his sleek eyes piercing into hers,

'As her Meister, you better remember that until the day you die.'

Shizuru had found herself breathing rather rapidly at his presence and was rendered to shock once again, how could this Prince have known about Natsuki being her Companion?

'As agreed, a safe passage will be guaranteed for you, young nameless Meister and the Great Kruger.'

'Wait!'

However, Shizuru found herself latching her hand onto a piece of torn flesh than the Prince himself. He had vanished within a mere second and replaced himself with her bloodied Companion. At that Shizuru cried,

'Natsuki!'

Dropping herself to the floor, Shizuru encircled her arms around her Companion's shoulders to feel the sticky liquid of blood seep onto her tunic. Emerald eyes were open even though how dead she looked. She could feel the beating of her Companion's heart, weak but still there. It was like a signal fire, ready to be put out any second. Heaving an anguish breath, Shizuru had felt her surroundings suddenly turn cold before she noticed that an ice dome had been raised to cover the both of them completely. Sealing them within an area of protection and healing.

It was then did Shizuru find Natsuki in state of near death.

It was excruciating to watch her Companion's innards leak out from the hole that was punch in Natsuki's abdomen, blooding rushing out like a waterfall. How desperately Shizuru had wanted to reach her hand out, gather it together and put them back inside. However, she had stopped herself and buried her face close to Natsuki's, breathing out healing words she had learned when she was back in Eden.

All she could then do was to watch layers of ice cover her Companion's wound, encasing her like a cocoon. Shizuru could then only sit and hold in prayer, in hope that those emerald eyes would open and greet her like how she always opened to find the same verdant eyes looking deeply into hers.

After all it was etched into her mind then and there; eternity flowed through Natsuki Kruger.

* * *

'You are not injured, are you Shizuru?'

Shizuru opened her eyes and found emerald looking back up at her, as if ready to close back to hide behind her eyes lids.

'No. I'm fine.'

Her Companion simply grunted and readjusted her head on Shizuru's lap. The ice around her neck melting slowly into the air, its vapour returning to the surrounding, making the ice dome a lot warmer than it originally was. Silence engulfed the both of them and Natsuki found Shizuru's hands massaging her head like how she use to on Eden. Except there were no clouds for them to look at and there was no rain that would follow.

How Natsuki wanted to return to those calm days back in Eden.

When everything was at peace, or was it? As much as she had imagined?

'Natsuki?'

She kept quiet, hoping that Shizuru would drop the question she was waiting to ask Natsuki. However, Natsuki heard nothing but Shizuru's smooth voice a second later,

'It won't rain today.'

Emerald that fixed onto crimson wavered and Natsuki could only clench her jaw together and look away after realising that Shizuru had brushed a stray strand of her hair away from her face. Within the ice dome, how could have Shizuru seen the clouds? The clouds so far away from their sight? The clouds blocked by the thick canopy of the Makkron Forest; blocked by the Burning led by Prince Aamon.

How could she see such things, when things were so bleak?

'Do you remember Natsuki? How I would describe the clouds to you? How it could somehow look like Master Rankin's face.'

She heard a soft breath of contentment, but she could not see the crimson eyes that had looked up to look at the top of the ice dome. Natsuki was sure she had sensed an emotion of foreboding from within Shizuru, but it seemingly was not there when those crimson eyes averted back down to her emerald. A finger traced her healing lips and Natsuki shook her head slightly from that warmth,

'You seemed so distant then.'

Natsuki froze and glanced back to Shizuru's gaze that looked away for the first time,

'Now, you seem even more distant.'

'I'm sorry.'

Shizuru pulled her hands from their caress on her Companion's head and lifted Natsuki closer to her frame,

'What is there to be sorry about?'

It rendered Natsuki speechless and she herself did not know why she had apologised.

Silence only engulfed them after Shizuru had pulled her Companion closer. The small groans and moans could be heard outside, but they both knew they had reached an agreement with Prince Aamon. To be safe is to be broken; to be at a loss is to be unabated. Those where the words of Prince Aamon Natsuki had longed learn when she travelled through the Burning with her family a long time ago. When her family was then feared by the Burning and her family worshipped by Prince Aamon. Now…

Now she was lowered to below their level, she was nothing but something they could use.

Then again, why was she called the Great Kruger when she was no longer part of the family that used to be feared by millions? Hadn't she torn herself away from her blood ties? Was it simply because she was last living Kruger that had eternity running through her veins. Was that seemingly why they still saw her as a Kruger and nothing less?

Prince Aamon was another reason.

Pushing her legs into a bend, she pushed herself further into Shizuru's hold, finding herself relaxing further into the soothing touch that warmed her skin. Shizuru may not know, but Natsuki was aware that Shizuru's element was working on helping her heal. Her self healing process was proceeding much faster than she expected, the rotting that was suppose to stall her healing process had been washed clean from her wounds and she could only pin point that the source of such extraction was done by Shizuru's element.

How it was done unconsciously by the young Meister, Natsuki could only guess. Guess upon that Shizuru loved her more than anything else that mattered, since how it was unconsciously working on her without Shizuru knowing. How far has Shizuru fallen for her when she had done nothing?

'Shizuru, you should sleep and rest.'

Crimson eyes only looked at her inquiringly and Natsuki pushed herself up a little more to rest within the arms of Shizuru,

'Daybreak, we shall start moving forward into the Burning. By tomorrow nightfall, we shall reach the exit to resurface onto the other side of the Makkron Forest.'

'But, Natsuki your wounds are…'

'Within your arms, I will be as good as before by daybreak.'

Shizuru felt her cheeks burn and she could only tighten her hold around her Companion and close her eyes. Her ears could pick up the soft now steady beating of Natsuki's heart and somehow she could hear another heartbeat that matched her Companion. It wasn't hers, that she knew, but who could it seemingly belong to? Before she could have the time to form the question within her head, fatigue pulled her eye lids shut and she fell into deep slumber, knowing that her Companion was there in her arms, safe and protected.

* * *

'To be safe is to be broken; to be at a loss is to be unabated.'

Shizuru whispered those words out into the searing atmosphere that burned around her. Her neck was glistening with perspiration and her tunic already drenched to the bottom. Her legs felt uncomfortable and it was tough to find a proper footing on the uneven ground of the burning. She had already long noticed that a layer of ice would form upon every step she took; Natsuki's beast was fulfilling its duty to protect her, yet it so seemed that Natsuki herself was protecting her.

Her stomach was calm and her fingers no where near uncomfortable; it was unusual since how troubled her Companion looked at the moment, walking beside her. Natsuki's face was tightened in pain or worry, Shizuru did not know. However, she could feel it within her element that something was troubling her Companion. The huge hand that held hers was loose and it felt as if Natsuki was ready to let go any moment.

Her Companion's steps were sluggish despite the fact that there were no ice wraps around her leg; the only prominent one was the large ice mould that was still healing the hole that had been made through Natsuki's abdomen. Her hands were well healed and her left arm healthily restored. Shizuru had brushed her lips across her Companion's healed lips at daybreak to ensure that her Companion was still with her and she could feel the energy that weakly flowed into her.

Natsuki looked more tired and exhausted than ever.

'Should we stop to take a break, Natsuki?'

The grip around her hand tightened and Shizuru looked up to the side to find Natsuki passing her a meek smile of comfort. Natsuki didn't say anything, but Shizuru could feel from her Companion that Shizuru need not to worry about her well being. The moans and groans from the creatures of the Burning echoed around them like a call from the dead and Shizuru only moved closer to her Companion.

Tightening her grip around her wooden staff, Shizuru kept her eyes forward, not daring to look at her surroundings, well aware that if she scanned what was around her, she would pass out. That she didn't want to happen, since how physically broken her Companion was at the moment. There was a soft tingling flow of energy that Shizuru felt at their interlinked hands; it was just that she didn't know whether the energy was from Natsuki or from her.

The unearthly sounds were the only noise that disrupted the subsequent periods of silence between Natsuki and Shizuru and upon nearing a structure that looked so much like a tall guard tower seen in the City of Galeria, Natsuki hoarse voice sounded above everything,

'Rest, Shizuru.'

Immediately falling onto her knees, Natsuki pulled at her chest and fell flat onto her body with a loud thud. There was a loud sounding crack of ice and Shizuru winced at the sudden impact her Companion brought upon herself. Rushing over to pull her Companion face up, Shizuru wound her hands across her Companion's body and heaved it to her side. Pulling her cloak over Natsuki torso, Shizuru placed her hands once again onto her Companion's head and caressed the smooth dark hair that splayed out in all angles.

'It seems the Great Kruger has weakened dramatically over the years.'

Jerking her head around, Shizuru's crimson met in a hard clash against the ashen coloured ones of the Prince and she averted her eyes a fraction of a second later. The immense power that flowed through the round beads of the Prince was deathly and overwhelming, it brought about a huge unbalance to the atmosphere around them that Shizuru felt choked and suffocated.

'Pardon my intrusion, young nameless Meister.'

'What do you want?'

Shizuru stammered upon hearing his voice, how her voice trembled with uncertainty. A sly grin formed onto the young man's face and Shizuru pulled Natsuki closer to her. The mercury coloured hair of the Prince glimmered under the golden glow of the Burning and he lowered himself into a sit onto the ground,

'As agreed, I do not need anything more from the both of you.'

Natsuki's breath hitched all of a sudden and it brought Shizuru's crimson to look down instantly to find emerald looking around, as if trying to find something. Then suddenly, emerald stopped their fitful search and looked blankly upon crimson that looked on worriedly. Their gaze was held for a minute or two before emerald was shut behind closed eyes lids, pulling Natsuki into a comatose state.

'Natsuki? Natsuki?'

Shizuru chewed onto her lower lips and brought her eyes back to clash hard against the ones of the Prince. Her breathing was laboured and she tightened her grip around Natsuki's shoulders,

'What have you done to her?'

'Oho? I have done nothing to the Great Kruger, young nameless Meister.'

Shizuru gritted her teeth and reached over to her wooden staff, however Natsuki's seemed to have moved by itself to rest upon her own, stopping her movements. Shocked, she weaved her fingers through the healed ones of Natsuki and held tightly, hoping silently that all this was just a dream. However the Prince's voice made sure it wasn't a dream as she had much wanted it to be,

'She is exhausted. Rest until nightfall and she will be much better.'

'We are to leave the Burning by nightfall.'

Shizuru was baffled by how she bit back at the young man and the expressionless face that the Prince gave only made her more afraid by what she had done. Surprisingly the Prince simply laughed heartily, making the surroundings moan and groan even louder, as if the walls of the Burning were laughing along with him.

'Hasty as always. I am not surprised.'

He waved his hand around and smiled pleasantly,

'With the Great Kruger in such a terrible condition, you cannot make it out of the Burning by nightfall.'

He stopped his waving and propped his chin up with his hand,

'I assure you, young nameless Meister, that you will not be harmed. I have agreed and I abide to my rules.'

'How can I trust you when you are the ruler of this land? You have no remorse!'

'I am not the ruler of the Burning. They simply follow my lead.'

Shizuru was rendered speechless and she only tightened her hold on Natsuki's hand. There was a flicker of energy that flowed in between them and Shizuru felt encouraged to stare further into those ashen coloured orbs that glowed in magnificence. The young man seemed to have caught onto her new found confidence and chuckled softly,

'I am Prince Aamon, Prince of the forgotten city Amun-Ra.'

'Amun-Ra?'

She had heard it before during her studies in the Order of Eden, the forgotten city of Amun-Ra. However, what made her question was how was it possible for such an ancient city to have a prince that is alive and living 'till this very day when the city had long been forgotten and its population wiped out during the Bowrout Revolution. Shizuru pursed her lips and it certainly did not go unnoticed by the Prince.

'I am a living figure of a devil's incarnation, but I am still Prince Aamon of Amun-Ra.'

He stilled his speech and looked over to Natsuki that lay within the arms of the young Meister and he brought a hand down to cover his face briefly, pulling it away to reveal the same raven head that Shizuru had seen yesterday upon their first meeting. The same white canine teeth sparkled under the mellow golden gleam of the Burning and his eyes beady. The feathers on his neck ruffled up and smoothed down momentarily, allowing Shizuru a while to regain her composure.

It still alarmed her at what the Prince could do, seemingly an unnatural thing a human could do.

'I am much like the Great Kruger.'

'You are nothing like Natsuki!'

'I wonder where all of your anger precedes from when I have done nothing to you.'

Her hands held tighter onto her Companion and she shuddered, this time she dare not speak against the young man that sat before her.

'I am sure by now; you would have met the Great Kruger's alter ego, Duran.'

Before Shizuru could utter a word, the morose voice of the Prince cut her clear,

'She is much like me; I am a devil, but I am also Prince Aamon. She is the Great Kruger, but she is also Duran.'

His beak seem to form back into a human mouth, but his raven head remained, making his appearance look even more ghastly,

'Her alter ego is much alike mine, but she has yet to learn to accept it. That, young nameless Meister, I am sure you are well aware of.' He waved his hand again in the air, 'Am I not correct?'

Shizuru moved her body over Natsuki and brushed the loose lock of hair out of her closed eyes and breathed out softly, the air around them somehow turned cooler. She had no choice but to answer, but Shizuru was compelled to just nod her head instead of using her voice, afraid that it could spill her emotions out and show her true nature of how she felt towards her Companion. Yet what she was portraying; was it not already spelling out her love for her Companion?

'A young Meister like you has much to learn, but I am not the one to impart that knowledge to you.'

Crimson eyes focussed onto the ashen beady ones of the Prince and she felt lighter than floating in the air. His morose voice echoed around her, so much like a battle cry in the distance,

'Rest Meister, nightfall is on its way.'

* * *

'Prince Aamon is Prince Aamon. He was just revived as he was back then. Do not listen to his preaches of him being a devil incarnation.'

Natsuki managed to easily lift Shizuru up to the upper ring of rock that they had to climb that led the exit of the Burning. The hole within Natsuki's body had been covered up completely, but Shizuru knew silently that the ice was still working its healing process underneath the thin tunic of her Companion. Grabbing hold of their rucksack, Shizuru reached out to help her Companion up, wedging her wooden staff behind her to act as a supporting anchor.

As they got higher and higher from ground zero of the Burning, Shizuru had taken noticed that the air had became less and less suffocating, and certainly a lot less hotter than it was below. The ceilings of the Burning were still lined with the thick roots of the Makkron trees and it showed her that they were still well under the Makkron forest.

The air still had the same disturbing unbalance and Shizuru found it tough to keep up with such turmoil and disturbance within the atmosphere. However, she didn't want to complain, especially when her Companion had already done so much for her. Nightfall had come like how Prince Aamon had said, how Shizuru had guessed it was nightfall for Natsuki immediately woke up from her deep slumber and roused her awake so they could prepare a hasty dinner and leave right after.

The meal was simple, and Natsuki ate her portion of stale bread quietly. Her energy had returned and Shizuru was well aware of that, but Natsuki looked more and more troubled as the seconds passed. The air on ground zero seemed as if it sucked her life dry and kept a portion of it there for survival, but Shizuru wondered how it was even possible for the atmosphere to act as such.

Was this Prince Aamon's doing?

Or was this simply the nature of the Burning?

Shizuru had asked Natsuki after much excruciating silence on their journey upwards. Natsuki had then answered her in single words of affirmation or negation. It was not until Shizuru had asked about the true being of what Prince Aamon. It was then did Natsuki start to speak in sentences that Shizuru thought she might not hear for the rest of her Meister duties.

'I have known Prince Aamon since he was a boy, back when he lived in the Amun-Ra. '

'Was it a beautiful place, Natsuki?'

Natsuki turned her head around as she tied the rucksack around her body and raised an eyebrow at the simple carefree question Shizuru asked. She hesitated on answering, but in the end she did,

'Yes. It was.'

'I wished it had not perished during the Revolution.'

'It would have, eventually.'

Shizuru reached over to hold her Companion's huge hand and followed onto the huge strides Natsuki could now take. Her Companion didn't stop and Shizuru wondered if she had jogged a certain memory in Natsuki's mind.

'Amun-Ra was situated deep in the caves of the Avaris Mountains, a healthy city ruled by monarchs. A city embraced with natural stones worthy for harvesting. Then again, one dissolute generation brought upon their downfall. Prince Aamon was just lucky to be spared.

'Be spared? Did he not die?'

Her Companion chuckled lowly and Shizuru pulled herself closer to comfort,

'He did die, but that was much later when he tried to revive the city. Foolish he was to make an empty bargain with the creatures of the abyss.'

'So, he is an incarnation of a devil.'

'No.'

Natsuki picked Shizuru up and lifted her up pass a steep portion of the rocky climb, her breathing was starting to get heavy and laboured,

'His soul was just sold to that of a devil, nothing more, and nothing less.'

Shizuru kept quiet and she felt a hand rest onto her head, to look up to find emerald looking into her own,

'His body is nothing but an empty shell that harbours two lost souls. One that yearns to be humble, while the other that strives for power.'

Her Companion simply smoothed her cheek with her gloved hand and motioned her to continue, all a while saying,

'To be safe is to be broken; to be at a loss is to be unabated.'

'Are you as divided as well, Natsuki?'

Natsuki kept walking, but with her mouth shut tightly, she found it hard to breathe since her air ways were long damaged and were still undergoing healing process. Shizuru question rung in her head and she knew she had been escaping that topic for a long time now and it was impossible to always run from it, especially when Shizuru was the one that was carrying her beast.

'Prince Aamon said to me that you are much like him.'

Natsuki forced a chuckle, but she kept her eyes ahead, afraid of turning to look into questioning crimson,

'Ah, what did he say?'

'Prince Aamon sparsely told me that he was a devil, but he was also Prince Aamon; and that you were the Great Kruger,' Natsuki heard no pauses or a waver of uncertainty in Shizuru's voice, 'but you were also Duran.'

At that, their steps were brought to a halt. Shizuru was roughly lifted up to a clearing above them and was no sooner joined by her Companion. However, Shizuru noticed that her Companion's eyes were turning into a shade darker than their normal gleaming emerald. Her element unable to work stably after being affected so much by the great disturbance in the Burning, could barely figure the cause of unbalance within Natsuki's body.

It was then Shizuru found her stomach start to churn and the edges of her fingers begin to burn. Squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden changed within herself, Shizuru wasn't aware that she had been forcefully pushed down onto the ground and her tunic pull aside. Her skin tensed open upon the contact of the air and she immediately felt an awkward swirl override her abdomen.

Pushing herself up weakly, she managed to find Natsuki bending over her, her brown cloak shielding them from the surrounding eyes of the Burning. The same mark that she had seen on her fingers spread from her Companion's eye and she noticed that those emerald eyes where trying to retain their original verdant colour. Through the sudden uncertain haze, Shizuru heard Natsuki's voice above her and her chest only tightened upon hearing her Companion's broken voice,

'It's time I told you about myself.'

Leaving her wooden staff next to her supine form, Shizuru gently lifted her hands up to cup Natsuki's face. Raising her head up and brushing her lips faintly with her Companion's, Shizuru was sure that there was slight tingle of excitement that ran through her body. Anything with Natsuki.

That she knew very well.

Even it if meant knowing her darkest side of all.

* * *

Her body was in waist high, dark freezing cold water. Every time she moved, trembled or shivered, Shizuru noticed that the intensity of the bitter coldness would only be brought down another level. She could only try in vain to still herself, but to only find herself shaking violently to how cold it was. Her surroundings were dark and it seemed to stretch on forever, for torturous silence was all she received when she called out her Companion's name into the distance.

Her hands were cold in the water and Shizuru found it disturbing that she had no control over her element, which she found useless in this bleak void of emptiness. She could see nothing in the distance and she could hardly tell whether the shadow she saw in front of her were her hands. The biting coldness had already long numbed her legs and Shizuru was beginning to feel faint and dizzy from everything.

She tried once more, her voice weak,

'Natsuki.'

Then did she hear a faint voice behind her,

'Why not Kruger?'

'Natsuki?'

Shizuru tried to turn around, but to find her lower body rooted to the ground. The water only became a lot colder due to her movement and she shivered even more. She could feel something press against her back, the fabric of a tunic, so much alike that of her Companion. The mint scent of Natsuki was clear in the air and she could only guess that Natsuki was standing back to back, against her.

Yet why could she not move and face her Companion.

Or was it even her Companion thought.

The voice that sounded behind her became more rough and edgy that it didn't sound like her Companion one bit.

'Why not Duran? Why not Kruger? Why always Natsuki?'

Shizuru froze at that question again, knowing that making any more unnecessary movements will only make her suffer more in this cold bleak endless void. Where did this water come from? That was something she could always wonder later. Now, she wondered, why always Natsuki? Why Natsuki?

'Because…'

'There is no because, Shizuru.'

Her crimson eyes could only widen at the sight that formed in front of her. Within the darkness, she did not know whether her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she could definitely see two identical figures of Natsuki standing at least an arm's length away from her. Yet, both of them weren't as identical as she thought they were. The more she looked at them, the more different they became to be. The Natsuki that stood on her right was shorter, thinner and leaner; her built more toned than the one on the left. The other Natsuki that stood more rigidly on the left of her was tall, shoulders square and chest more developed, yet those emerald eyes darker than those she normally saw.

Then again, who was behind her?

A presence that felt so much like her Companion, but yet seemingly not.

'Natsuki?'

Her voice betrayed her original intention, and Shizuru found that it sounded so much more like an uncertain question than a calling she had wanted to make.

'Are we not all Natsuki?'

They all sounded, at the same time, that it echoed around her like the bells in the Order of the Eden. It was just that now, the toll sounded so much more dead than alive.

'You, all, cannot be Natsuki! There is only one Natsuki in Kosarieé.'

'What do you know, Shizuru?'

The figure that stood to her left smirked as if already standing in the light of triumph. The one on the right merely looked at her with bright emerald eyes. The unknown figure behind her simply stood motionless and spoke as if it was its turn; the water around her only becoming colder,

'What do you know about Natsuki, Shizuru?'

'I know…Natsuki.'

'You do not know anything about her.'

'She is a Kruger! An immortal of Kosarieé.'

'Ah. She knows how to bite back. Doesn't she, Duran?'

The one behind sounded out again in jest and the figure of Natsuki on the left, supposedly called Duran laughed. Yet, how it sounded more like a howl than a laugh,

'She nibbles. It is hardly called a bite.'

Laughter sounded around her, and Shizuru realised that she was more awake than ever and that her breathing was heavy and tired. How could she be both alert and lethargic at the same time? Was this place full of irony that it took effect on even the smallest things?

'That's the only thing you know about her. There is nothing more, even from the five years you have shared with her.'

Duran lifted a hand in a tease and the one behind her chuckled hoarsely. Nevertheless, the one on the right simply looked at her quietly, and silently.

'How can you call her Natsuki when you know nothing about her? How can you when you have hardly scratched on her exterior.'

'What do you know?'

Shizuru breathed back and the laughter that joked around stopped abruptly.

'Are we not all Natsuki?'

Her crimson eyes narrowed onto the one on the right and Shizuru gritted her teeth,

'Do not play games with me.'

'We are all Natsuki.' Her mouth relaxed the instant she heard a clear voice from the right, and Shizuru averted her gaze to find the figure on the right speaking,

'We are just the sides of Natsuki you do not see.'

'You are too easy on her.', the one behind chuckled once more and Duran grinned in amusement. Shizuru felt stunned for a moment and then something bit her that brought her back to who she was facing. Before her eyes once again, the image of Natsuki called Duran easily vaporised into a thick mist and cackled and crunched into a giant beast. A cross between a snow wolf and an Ankor guard bear. Its fur made of ice and its eyes gleaming in the most vibrant shade of green.

The image on her left dropped weightless into the dark water around her and materialised up into a girl that look no older than her. Her dark hair short to her shoulder and her face marred with scars, yet what mesmerised Shizuru were the same green eyes she shared with the beast.

The figure behind her didn't move, and it kept still like it had been throughout their light and taunting conversation.

'I am Duran.'

'I am Natsuki.'

'I am Kruger.'

'How can all of you be Natsuki!?'

Shizuru choked and gripped her chest, the water around her becoming even colder. How it did not turn to ice, she wondered briefly, but it escaped her mind when all around were figures that were all Natsuki. Staring hard upon Duran the sat on his hind legs on the still dark water beneath him, Shizuru chided,

'You live inside me! How can you possibly be Natsuki when you manifest in a place other than within her.'

'I am Natsuki.'

Whipping her head to the young girl that stood to her right, Shizuru covered her mouth and pulled her head between her shoulders. She cried effortlessly, tired of the whole illusion,

'It makes no sense!'

Silence engulfed them and Shizuru brought her head up when she found the figure behind her move away from her back. It spoke, hoarsely,

'The Natsuki you call for all the time, you are not calling all of us.'

'The Natsuki you love is only an empty shell.'

'The Natsuki you love is-'

'The Natsuki I love is here,' Shizuru spun hard, knowing she had broken a bone below; well hearing a crack when she forced her way around, 'In my heart.'

Her crimson eyes settled onto the well image of her Companion behind her, emerald eyes rebellious like they were in Eden. Her figure compromising both the slim and the buff, awkwardly making her look like any other being. Her dark long hair pooling on her shoulder and her lean face clean. The mint scent was no more in the air, but somehow Shizuru could imagine the fresh smell that her Companion could seemingly give out, no matter how dirty or bloodied she was.

'Then you're heart holds nothing.'

Shizuru faltered slightly, but she regained herself faster than she imagined. Maybe it was all for Natsuki,

'My heart holds my love for Natsuki. Even how different she is.'

'Different?'

Her Companion leaned forward, her nose nearly touching Shizuru's. Her breath smoked around their faces and Shizuru trembled slightly,

'Different!? She is very different, so very different!'

It spooked Shizuru, how eerie her Companion could suddenly change,

'I am sure you know Duran. The beast, the familiar, the alter-ego, the other side of Natsuki.'

Her Companion raised her hand to gesture to the young girl that stood quietly to the right,

'Allow me to introduce to you, Natsuki. Just Natsuki. The spirit, the soul, the true girl. The true little girl that wants everything.'

'What about you? Who are you?'

Shizuru watched, partly in terror and curiosity, at what her Companion before would say. Those emerald eyes averted down to her like that of a raven and pierced into her soul, making Shizuru feel terribly uncomfortable,

'I am Kruger. The empty shell that holds that damn fucking Rougeoyer.'

'Rougeoyer?'

'Must you mock me?'

Her Companion snapped at her and Shizuru held her hands to her chest, somehow able to move herself backwards in the freezing waters. Her Companion sneered at her and raised her hands into the emptiness; Shizuru did not know whether it was even called air,

'You do not know who you have loved! So stop wasting your time, you do not know anything about Natsuki!'

'Enough Kruger.'

Turning her head around, Shizuru found Duran trotting slowly to the young girl named Natsuki. Just Natsuki. No title, no family name. Just Natsuki. Shizuru found it intriguing to watch the snow beast circle the young girl twice, before settling around her like a shield of warmth and protection. A stream of vapour rose from his nostrils and his emerald eyes focussed onto the both of them.

'You've been beating around the bush; you will get nothing out from it.'

'Where have you been getting your confidence from?'

Shizuru looked on in silence; the young Natsuki spoke out, causing her Companion behind her to snort back. Her crimson eyes widened slightly when the young girl averted her gaze and look solely at her unmoving figure,

'As Kruger had said, I am Natsuki. We have never met before, and I am honoured to meet someone that is able to break into our void.'

'Void?'

'This is the Mascaron.'

She found herself being dragged to where the young girl stood in the water, her Companion following languidly like a shadow. Upon reaching the girl and Duran, Shizuru found the water around her much warmer and less biting on her skin. It felt unusually comfortable and soothing, so much like Natsuki in reality.

'Kruger does not lie, but I do. So whatever you hear from me, it is up to you to believe or not. After all, I am Natsuki, the soul of this person you love.'

'Everyone lies. It is natural for someone to lie.'

'Indeed. It is what makes up the balance, am I not correct?'

Shizuru could only nod her head in agreement.

'Then, shall we?'

* * *

'I did not seek an audience from you, Prince Aamon.'

Her ears could pick up his chuckle behind her and Natsuki gave one last glance at Shizuru that lay motionless below her. Pulling herself up to turn to face the young man that sat soundly on the rock ledge above her, Natsuki shed her cloak and placed it gently onto Shizuru's bare body.

'Is it wise to expose her in the Burning?'

'I will deal with it later.'

The Prince laughed heartily at her response and waved his hand like always,

'Yes, yes, I know you will. Yet, to allow her to dive into your soul in such an environment and time? Are you not taking a very huge risk?'

In comeback, Natsuki gritted her teeth together and snarled, much to her displeasure,

'Were you not the one that pushed her into asking me?'

'I procure love when I see it. It is a part of me I am sure you are well aware of.'

'I am sure you are well aware of how I tend to bite at whoever dares to take a part of me away.'

Prince Aamon raised his hands up in defeat, chuckling on his way,

'Oho! That is something I do not want happen here.'

'Leave Prince Aamon. I do not want to hear rubbish spill from your mouth.'

'Rubbish? How rude. I am sure I pushed her the correct way.'

'You make things sound so easy to do.'

'I am Prince Aamon, am I not? I do make things much easier and the same goes for you, Great Kruger.'

Natsuki snorted and looked away, only to find her eyes being brought to look back at the young man that smiled delightfully at her. His morose voice sounded once again and Natsuki could only smile grimly in response.

'She is a wise young nameless Meister, I am sure she knows what is right and what is wrong. I am sure you know it too.'

Picking up the light lit in his voice, Natsuki growled, knowing where he was headed to,

'You are still in debt to me.'

'Won't I always be?'

Changing his face into that of a raven, he flashed his white canine teeth from his beak,

'I am not running from what you have done to save a part of me; for that I am always in debt to you. However, in the Burning, you cannot outrun my rules.'

'You have agreed, but I know you want more.'

'Do not test me Great Kruger.' His beady ashen eyes darkened, 'I do not break my own rules for my own pleasure.'

Natsuki kept silently and kept her eyes burning into those that mirrored her anger. His voice sounded first and she was somehow relieved that he did,

'I do not wish to have the last Kruger be broken by her own undoing.'

'Have you been looking into the future?'

He looked coldly back at her,

'It was something I could not ignore.'

'You can learn to ignore it.'

'Then why can't you learn to accept yourself.'

Natsuki felt her chest cave in, and her vision hazed slightly. Indeed she had been running from accepting who she really was. Companion…Kruger or not. She had not accepted herself as Natsuki yet. When had she divided herself? So long ago it seemed.

'I can accept who I want to be, but can you, Great Kruger? Where have you learnt to be so stubborn? You are apparently not the Great Kruger I use to play with when I was a boy.'

'People change, Prince Aamon.'

'I hope you have changed for the better.'

* * *

'_It is up to you to believe or not.'_

Shizuru woke up with a start. Her hair was wet and her body draped with something thin yet heavy; Natsuki's cloak. She then noticed that her tunic was off her body and herself exposed to the tense air of the surroundings. Where was she? Yes…the Burning. The Burning led by Prince Aamon. Prince Aamon…

'Natsuki!'

A grunt came from behind her and she whipped around, feeling an aching burn in her abdomen course through her body. Her Companion sat comfortably on a flat rock nearby, her knees bent and an arm propped up, her head resting on the palm of her upright hand. Those emerald eyes gazed at her and averted after a minute of silence.

Those emerald eyes that she saw so clearly in the Mascaron, the ones she saw now looked so different from the other three she had met in the empty void. To know everything about Natsuki was to meet every side of Natsuki. Her alter-ego, her shell, her soul and everything that made her whole. Was what she was seeing now, everything of Natsuki? Or what part of Natsuki had said, that she was just seeing something empty without life. Loving something that could not even grasp onto the life that hung in front of her?

Shizuru had heard their side, now it was her turn to decide, whether she believed it or not. That was her own secret to decide.

'We must get going.'

Meeting with the emerald once again, Shizuru nodded and reached over for her tunic that was folded neatly beside her. Upon dressing herself, she noted how Duran's seal mark snaked around her fingers instead of her abdomen and how another seal was replaced on the flat skin of her stomach. It was cool upon contact and she realised how unique this mark was.

It was dark like her Companion's hair and it had a light green ring around what seemed to be a text, written in language of the ancient. What caught her attention the most was the symbol that took its place within the ring. What seemed to be a bolt of lighting but seemingly not a bolt; what apparently looked like a Duran but not the beast itself and what looked like the young girl she had met and yet not.

'Shizuru.'

Flushing her tunic down over her chest, Shizuru wrapped her armour around her upper body and tied her bodice. Dusting down her top, she breathed in and found that her lungs did not feel as heavy as before she passed out. The place still felt as unbalance as before, but she felt more energetic and alive, not tired and exhausted. Getting onto her feet, she readjusted her cloak and by then, Natsuki had slipped her wooden staff into her hands.

'It is time we get out of the Burning.'

Grasping hold of her Companion's huge hand, she noted how relatively big it was compared to the ones that her true soul had. How many more nicks and knacks it had compared to her Companion's. How different they both seem to be, yet how similar they were. Each wanting to have everything, yet, not wanting to accept that in reality, that cannot happen.

'Natsuki.'

Shizuru didn't know whether when she called now, was she really calling all of Natsuki, or just the empty figure of Natsuki she had loved? Nevertheless now, she believed that she loved more than Natsuki herself, but her entire being of that spiritually and physically. Even though if she was just an empty shell, Shizuru would still love her.

Everything needed love, it was part of the balance.

Everything was part of the balance.

Tightening her fingers around those of Natsuki, Shizuru managed to get her Companion to turn her head towards her direction. Those emerald eyes glistening under the golden gleam of the Burning and Shizuru could only give out a warm smile and softly say,

'Even though you are divided, I will still love you.'

Natsuki merely grunted in response, much like Duran would do and Shizuru simply closed her eyes and be led along smoothly. Under the groans and moans from all around them, Shizuru placed her hand with her staff over her abdomen and gave out a soft breath of content,

'After all, you are my Companion.'

'_Are you willingly to take us all, Meister Shizuru Viola?'

* * *

_**A/N: **Back to the present, will Mai expect to find the Burning the same as Shizuru had seen five years ago?

***Info break: **Prince Aamon is purely a fictional character from 'Kargo- the longest journey', he is a character inspired from one of the Princes of the Hell, sharing the same name Aamon. The Avaris Moutains, where the city of Amun-Ra is located, is at the border seperating the Land of Merros from the Land of Arri. The word Mascaron is a architectural term for an ornamental mask.

***Note from J-Crusader:** The front part as one may noticed is written differently. I gave K', a writer from Production 797, the headstart to write the opening sequence to the second installment and she gave me something I could not ask for more. Why not we give up an applause for a well written piece that made this story whole.

Then again, until next time,

Cheers!


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